Fall is a great time to enjoy the beauty of New England as well as some of our favorite local events: East Somerville Foodie Crawl – Tuesday, September 18 www.eastsomervillemainstreets.org/foodie-crawl “What the Fluff” Festival – Union Square, Saturday, September 22 www.flufffestival.com HONK! – October 5 & 6 in Davis Square and October 7 in Harvard Square www.honkfest.org
Best Real Estate Agency
Best Real Estate Agent
Coming Soon 10 Banks Street #3, Somerville Porter Square top floor of a 3-decker with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath condo with private front and back porches and a garage space. Steps to Porter Square and short walk to Davis Square.
12 Dimick Street Unit 1, Somerville Lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo with open plan, private porch, and 2 side-by-side parking spaces. Walk to Inman, Harvard, Union, and Porter Squares.
5 Wesley Street, Somerville
52 Madison Street, Somerville
Winter Hill single family with 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, and parking, less than half a mile from Gillman Square. Owner has done some renovations and has architects’ plans to make it a high-performance, energy efficient home.
Spacious single family with 4 beds, 2 baths, fenced yard, 2-car garage, beautiful light, and sweeping views.
East Arlington Just off Massachusetts Avenue, this 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath condo occupies the upper two floors of a 2-unit building. Two private porches, garage and driveway spaces.
Current Listings ER
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28 Newberne Street Unit 6, Somerville $1,495,000
Stunning Davis Square townhouse-style unit (built 2011) with 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, large deck facing the bike path, gas fireplace, central air, 2 garage parking spaces, private garden plot.
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71 Heath Street #3, Somerville $469,000
Enjoy spectacular views from this top floor Winter Hill 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo with tandem parking.
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17 Orchard Street, Medford $799,000
Charming two-family within 1.5 mile of Davis and Medford Squares with garage and driveway. First floor unit has 1 bedroom, 1 bath; upper unit has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths on 2 levels. Lovely back yard and porches.
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Thalia Tringo
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
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111 Spring Street #2, Medford $484,000
Bright, pet-friendly, 2-level condo with garage, open plan living/dining area, 2-3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths.
Niké Damaskos
Residential Sales and Commercial Sales and Leasing 617.875.5276 Nike@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Jennifer Rose
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Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
285 Cross Street #B, Winchester $615,000
Large 3 bedroom, 2 bath flat with oversized deck, in-unit laundry, central air, and 2 parking spaces.
First Time Home Buyers:
an overview of the buying process
How to Buy and Sell at the Same Time: for homeowners contemplating a move
Eco-Friendly/Green Homes
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 315.382.2507 cell/text Seth@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Adaria Brooks
Executive Assistant to the President, Realtor ® 617.308.0064 cell/text Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
6:30 – 8:00 pm
If you’re dreaming of a home that’s the ultimate in energy efficiency, join us for a presentation about passive homes. We’ll discuss the lingo associated with this technology, show various examples of homes that use the passive home design/standards, and the various programs currently available to retrofit your home. Presented by a local Architect/Designer, Tagore Hernandez with Group Design Build. One hour presentation and 20 minutes Q&A. Handouts and refreshments provided.
How Individuals Can Buy Property Together as a Group Wednesday, September 26TH
Seth Kangley
6:30 – 7:45 pm
If trying to figure out the logistics of selling your home and buying a new one makes your head spin, this workshop will help make the process & your choices understandable. This workshop, led by our agents and a loan officer from a local bank, includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
Tuesday, September 25TH
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
6:30 – 7:45 pm
If you’re considering buying your first home and want to understand what’s in store, this is a quick and helpful overview. Led by our agents and a loan officer from a local bank, it includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
Tuesday, September 18TH
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Brendon Edwards
Free Classes Wednesday, September 12TH
Lynn C. Graham
6:30 – 8:30 pm
When two or more people, whether or not they are related, buy property together, what are their options for taking title? How do you determine each one’s financial contributions, percentage legal interest in the property, and expense allocation? What kind of arrangements can be made in the event one or more parties want to move on but others want to keep the property? What type of financing is available? We will address these and other questions, followed by a Q&A session. Lead by our team and a local real estate attorney. If you are a first time homebuyer, please attend the First Time Home Buyers Workshop (March 20th) or make an appointment with one of our agents so you’ll have your prerequisites for this class. To reserve space in any class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. Admission is free, but we appreciate donations of canned goods for the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
About our company... We are dedicated to representing our buyer and seller clients with integrity and professionalism. We are also commi ed to giving back to our community. Our agents donate $250 to a non-profit in honor of each transaction and Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Inc. also gives $250 to a pre-selected group of local charities for each transaction. Visit our office, 128 Willow Avenue, on the bike path in Davis Square, Somerville.
SEPTEMBER 10 - NOVEMBER 11, 2018 ::: VOLUME 53 ::: SCOUTSOMERVILLE.COM
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contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE 8 // WINNERS & LOSERS On the one hand, local seniors have become pen pals with Panamanian children who are practicing their English. On the other hand, we’re in for bridgeclosure headaches. 10 // WHAT’S NEW? Rep. Mike Connolly wants to take our styrofoam ban statewide, and more macarons are heading our way.
SCOUT’S HONORED 2018 15 // SHOPPING Meet the sisters behind 4GoodVibes as part of your definitive guide to shopping local. 16 // SERVICES Get to know Artisan Asylum’s new director and take a peek behind the scenes of Stanhope Framers’ 10,000-square-foot production space. 19 // WELLNESS Whether you’re searching for a yoga studio, dentist, gym, acupuncturist, or massage, we’ve got recommendations brought to you by your fellow Somervillians. 20 // DRINKS This year’s best bartender tells us what she loves about making drinks, plus the scoop on where to find the best cocktails and beer selection in the city.
24 // FOOD Lamb loin chops with kalamata olive tapenade and whipped feta butter. Ouzo fried cheese with a carrot marmalade. Smoked bluefish cakes with mango-mustard hot sauce. Are you drooling yet?
40 // SCOUT OUT: THE YOUTUBE ICON NEXT DOOR The creator of “Potter Puppet Pals” talks about finding his voice online and in Somerville. 42 // CALENDAR 46 // PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
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30 // ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT You might be surprised to learn that Somerville’s best comedy show is run by a brewery. 34 // BEAUTY The owner of the Boston Tattoo Company tells us about his first experience in a tattoo parlor, while Christine Andrade McSheehy of HAIR by Christine & Co. talks about how to make sure you get the haircut you want. 36 // WILDCARDS Union Square took home best neighborhood to eat, live, and work. Plus, see who nabbed the coveted “Best New Business” award.
Photo, top: A dish from Sarma. Photo by Derek Kouyoumjian. Photo, bottom: Second Chances Dog Walking & Sitting. Photo by Derek Kouyoumjian. Cover illustration by Stefan Mallette. IG: @stefs_stuff
Second Chances Dog Walking & Sitting thinks pit bulls have gotten a bad rap.
Temple Brith Temple B’nai B’nai Brith JewishHome Home inin Somerville Your Your Jewish Somerville Welcoming • Inclusive • Egalitarian ROSH HASHANAH SEPTEMBER 9, 10, 11 • YOM KIPPUR SEPTEMBER 18, 19
Ticket information and a complete High Holiday schedule at www.templebnaibrith.org
LEARNING
• Learning in the Sukkah with Rabbi Eliana Wed Sept 26 at 7:30 pm • Adult Education courses beginning Oct 14 • Weekly Torah Study 8am Tuesdays at Porter Square Panera (no Hebrew needed) resumes Oct 16 • Monthly Book Group 7pm at Porter Square Panera • Monthly Song of the Heart, come sing with us! • Weekly Children’s School K-8 (monthly pre-K)
CELEBRATING SHABBAT
• Weekly Friday evening services at 6pm • Monthly vegetarian potluck dinners Sept 28 (in the sukkah) Oct 19, Nov 9, Dec 7, Jan 11, Feb 8, Mar 8, Apr 12, May 10, June 7 • Weekly Saturday morning services • Monthly Tot Shabbat Service led by Rabbi Eliana
FREE FAMILY AND TOT HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES RSVP at templebnaibrith.org/hhfamily
For information about programs for young adults email TBB20s30s@gmail.com 201 Central Street 02145 | 617-625-0333 | www.templebnaibrith.org | tbb@templebnaibrith.org
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EDITOR’S NOTE
O
ver the past year, I’ve cracked open the 2017 Scout’s Honored issue many times. It’s helpful to have my neighbors’ advice at my fingertips, whether I’m looking for a new restaurant to try or figuring out where to find a notary. We’re excited to present this updated guide to your city, determined by you and featuring the best of the businesses that you love. This year we’ve taken a deeper dive into those businesses’ stories than ever before. During my interview with Richard Siegel, the owner of Stanhope Framers (p.16), he told me with an amazed look on his face about how he gets to hold and, for a time, Photo by Megan Souza. work with a wide variety of art pieces. A remark he made about my job led me to feel like there’s a parallel between what he and I do—instead of artwork, I deal with the stories of the people of Somerville. We met the owner of Boston Tattoo Company, who fell for tattooing when he was 18 years old (p.34). We chatted with Artisan Asylum’s new executive director to get a sense of where the nonprofit is headed (p.18). We drooled over dishes made by Somervillians who hail from all over the world (p.24). Usually we get to find and choose the stories, but this time it was all in your hands, and we had a wonderful time following your recommendations.
Reena Karasin Reena Karasin, Editor-in-Chief rkarasin@scoutmagazines.com
PUBLISHER Holli Banks Allien hbanks@scoutmagazines.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Reena Karasin rkarasin@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Adrianne Mathiowetz photo@scoutmagazines.com adriannemathiowetz.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien jallien@scoutmagazines.com STAFF WRITER AND SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Tim Gagnon tgagnon@scoutmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dana Forsythe, Emily Frost, Eric Francis, JM Lindsay, Nicholas Golden CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Claire Ellis, Derek Kouyoumjian, Gabrielle Chiongbian, Irina M. / IM Creative Photography, Sasha Pedro CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Christine Engels, Stefan Mallette COPY EDITOR JM Olejarz BANKS PUBLICATIONS 519 Somerville Ave., #314 Somerville, MA 02143 FIND US ONLINE scoutsomerville.com somervillescout
scoutsomerville scoutmags
Office Phone: (617) 996-2283 Advertising inquiries? Please contact hbanks@scoutmagazines.com. GET A COPY
Scout Somerville is available for free at more than 220 drop spots throughout the city (and just beyond its borders). Additionally, thousands of Somerville homes receive a copy in their mailbox each edition, hitting every neighborhood in the city throughout the year ... sometimes twice! You can sign up for home delivery by visiting scoutsomerville.com/shop. 6 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
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W&L
WINNERS
LOSERS
PARENTING JOURNEY Parenting Journey’s Parents’ Bill of Rights was endorsed by the Boston City Council, following sponsorship from City Councilor (and congressional candidate) Ayanna Pressley. The bill aims to address “systemic barriers ... disproportionately impact[ing] communities of color, low-income families, and immigrants” by calling for livable wages, affordable child care, and access to nutritional food, among other rights, according to a statement from Parenting Journey. The bill’s supporters also include former city councilor Tito Jackson, who helped shape the bill during a Social and Family Justice fellowship with the nonprofit.
SAM ADAMS If you happen to run into Mayor Joseph Curtatone at a social function, it might be wise to avoid offering him a Sam Adams beer. The mayor sounded off on Twitter in August after the local brewery’s founder, Jim Koch, was one of 13 executives to dine with President Donald Trump at his New Jersey golf resort. Koch praised the benefits of the president’s tax code rewrites in a comment to the Boston Business Journal. “I will never drink Sam Adam’s beer again,” Curtatone tweeted, adding later that Koch and the rest of the executives at the president’s dinner were “complicit profiteers of Trump’s white nationalist agenda.”
FORMLABS GAINS “UNICORN” STATUS A Somerville 3D-printing company has officially joined the hallowed ranks of Facebook, AirBnB, and Uber, according to Forbes, and is now a tech industry “unicorn.” Yes, you read that correctly. In simpler terms, Formlabs reached $1 billion as a start-up, receiving $15 million recently from a venture capitalist group to set them over. Formlabs’ CEO and MIT alum Maxim Lobovsky told Forbes that producing “quality printers in higher numbers” has been the key to their recent success, but it also probably doesn’t hurt that former General Electric chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt just joined as a member of the company’s board of directors. UNLIKELY PEN PALS In one of the more unlikely but wholesome friendships to come out of Somerville, elders at the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center became pen pals with Panamanian children who are practicing their English, the Somerville Times reports. The two groups connected through Meg Bolger, a former case manager at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services and current Peace Corps volunteer in Panama. Inspired by the kids’ basic English lessons and desire to apply their budding language skills, the Somerville and Cambridge seniors responded with decorated letters, sketches, and stickers.
CLOSING THE BROADWAY BRIDGE The MBTA received a painful reminder of how Green Line Extension construction will disrupt local residents’ commutes at a July community meeting when dozens of residents and officials voiced their concerns about plans to temporarily close the Broadway Bridge later this year, according to the Medford Transcript. After announcing their plan to close the bridge entirely to speed up construction, rather than keep one lane open, MBTA officials were left to answer questions about increased traffic on streets surrounding the bridge, police enforcement of routes, and accessible detours for pedestrians. ABANDONING YOUR KITTENS Finding a free cat in a box may sound like a dream come true for some people, but Somerville officials began a concerned search in August after three kittens showed up on separate street corners around the city, the Somerville Patch reports. After the MSPCA Adoption Center received a female cat and a kitten from a Somerville resident near where the other kittens were found, Somerville Police intervened and filed a felony animal cruelty complaint against the cat owner. After confessing, the owner said that she “monitored the shoeboxes” to ensure the cats were claimed.
Someone rustle your jimmies or tickle your fancy?
Let us know at scoutsomerville.com/contact-us, and we just might crown them a winner or loser. 8 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
SCOUT TO THE SOUTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the Scout’s Honored edition of our sibling publication, Scout Cambridge.
“It was a total accident, really,” the manager of Chameleon Tattoo & Body Piercing said when we asked him how he got into the tattoo and piercing world.
Meet the woman who “was raised by hippies in the woods” and went on to found Cambridge’s best jewelry shop.
The lowdown on where to find “saffron-butter poached lobster.”
Food for thought: Getting a mortgage may be the single most important financial decision any of us make. We listen to your ambitions, learn about your finances, understand your needs, and then use our expertise to design a loan specifically for your life.
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WHAT’S NEW
RIBBON CUTTINGS is shaping up to be a holy site of retail and its newest addition, True Religion, might be your … well, you get the idea. The California-based apparel stop has built up a faithful denim following since 2002, but faced some less-than-blessed times in July 2017 when, according to a USA Today report, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed nearly 30 of its locations. Although the report added that the company, in its own words, had “failed to adapt to the industry-wide shift to online sales, the decline of trendy denim, and the rise of athleisure wear,” here’s hoping the Assembly Row location is perhaps part of its second coming. ASSEMBLY SQUARE
CHA DEBUTS NEW PRIMARY CARE CENTER
ASSEMBLY SQUARE
THE SMOKE SHOP BBQ’S ‘BRISKET CUTTING’
A
little meat-centric fanfare is fitting for the arrival of Andy Husbands’s latest Smoke Shop BBQ COMING MOVED location at Assembly Row, but the celebrity chef decided to be a little cute with the cutlery on SOON opening day. In fact, there wasn’t a ribbon in sight for the restaurant’s ribbon-cutting ceremony; Husbands and Mayor Joseph Curtatone instead cut the first slice of smoked brisket at a July 24 event, the Somerville Patch reports. Assembly Row’s Smoke Shop boasts a whopping 240 seats, interiors made from repurposed Jim Beam distillery wood, and “the largest American whiskey collection in New England,” with over 200 American options in addition to Scottish and Japanese varieties, according to the Patch. UNION SQUARE
LINCOLN PARK’S MASS OVERHAUL
Don’t worry, vegetarians—the mayor went right back to cutting COMING ribbons after his brief foray MOVED SOON into brisket at the Smoke Shop BBQ. Curtatone cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of Lincoln Park’s large-scale renovations over the summer, which largely kicked off back in September 2016 with the completion of a new playground, the Somerville Journal reports. The park’s new features range from classic, communal touches (a skate park, basketball courts, and 10 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
community gardens) to slightly more modern additions (a parkour area, a pollinator garden, and a 1.25-million-gallon stormwater storage system), according to the Somerville Patch. Although the park is officially reopened, lawn areas will be fenced off until later this fall and playing fields will reopen in the spring because of the new grass coming in. WINTER HILL
HOYT-SULLIVAN PLAYGROUND
’Tis the season for park reopenings. A ribbon-cutting COMING was held for the renovated MOVED SOON Hoyt-Sullivan Playground on
Aug. 24, roughly 15 months after construction began back in May 2017, according to the City of Somerville’s website. The playground’s new features seek to highlight the nature around the park, including an interactive sand and water area, a tree house, and a deck built around the park’s beech tree, the Somerville Patch reports. Other new features include a “café-style plaza” and an accessible trail for scooters and trikes, according to the Patch. ASSEMBLY SQUARE
TRUE RELIGION
If shopping is your divine calling, Assembly Row COMING SOON
MOVED
The Cambridge Health Alliance opened a new primary care location in July.COMING The SOONnew MOVED Assembly Row center provides rehabilitation services, prescription refills, and adult primary care with a focus on disease prevention and chronic disease management, according to the facility’s website. ASSEMBLY SQUARE
ROW HOTEL’S REFLECTIONS
Concluding an absolutely booming season of growth at COMING MOVED Assembly Row, the Row Hotel’s SOON latest addition is Reflections, an artsy restaurant taking inspiration in name and design from late sculpture artist Feliciano Béjar, according to Eater Boston. Breakfast comes with upscale-sounding options like an avocado tart tartine, and a New England soup duet of lobster bisque and clam chowder adorns the lunch menu. If you’re not so easily swayed, though, you might want to look to its fry-shaped carrot cake or the “Caipbeerinha” cocktail made with Slumbrew IPA from Somerville Brewing Company.
Photo, top left, courtesy of The Smoke Shop. Photo, top right, by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
FOND FAREWELLS
FAMILY RECIPES WITH
MODERN TWISTS.
SERVING SOMERVILLE HAND-CRAFTED LATIN AMERICAN CUISINE MADE WITH THE FRESHEST INGREDIENTS
EHCHOCOLATIER MOVES OUT One of Somerville’s most beloved artisanal chocolate companies is moving away, but its new home is just as sweet— and, more importantly, fairly close by. EHChocolatier will now be located at 145 Huron Ave. in West Cambridge, which will allow for a better customer shopping experience than the current spot, co-founder Elaine Hsieh explains. “It’s a very quaint space, that kind of has a European, small-shop feel to it,” Hsieh told Scout about the new location. “It’s been a dream of ours since the very beginning of EHChocolatier to have a sweet neighborhood retail shop where customers can watch how our chocolates are made,” co-founder Catharine Sweeney added in a statement. DAVIS SQUARE
BLUE SHIRT CAFE
We don’t get too blue over losing a shirt, but Blue Shirt Cafe’s sudden exit COMING SOON from Davis Square is worthy of a little fashionable sadness. Opened in 1997, Blue Shirt truly defined a
good ol’ neighborhood eatery; smoothies and egg scrambles in the morning gave way to wraps and paninis in the afternoon, complete with freshly squeezed juice or, if you were under the weather, a bevy of special “remedy” smoothies. In the wake of the cafe’s quiet departure at the end of July, Boston Restaurant Talk reports no further details on why they closed after 21 years or what will replace them at their prime location on Highland Ave. EAST SOMERVILLE
GLX TREE REMOVAL
Somerville residents hoping to watch the foliage along Washington Street and Broadway this fall received a disappointing surprise at the end of summer, courtesy of the Green Line Extension project. While the removal of trees along both streets was in the cards for 2019, the project’s construction crew began the uprooting process early on Aug. 4, the Somerville MOVED Patch reports. The early removal was due to “tree/rail safety concerns,” according to MassDOT.
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11
WHAT’S NEW
COMING ATTRACTIONS Hampshire-based Finesse Pastries is opening a new location later this year in the former Woody’s Liquors space on Somerville Ave., Eater Boston reports, previewing regional-specific flavors that incorporate Crescent Ridge Dairy and Boston Honey Company products, among other local favorites. Finesse is landing about a half-mile from Maca in Bow Market, though, and Caramel French Patisserie’s right up the road, so don’t be surprised if the most adorable dessert turf war ever breaks out around the holiday season. DAVIS SQUARE
WAIKIKI
UNION SQUARE
JULIET’S A LA CARTE MENU GOES LATE
W
DAVIS SQUARE
GENKI YA
CREATE COCKTAIL GALLERY & LOUNGE
COMING SOON
Mixing cocktails on tap with art sounds like a night of drunken disaster, but thankfully, CREATE Gallery & Cocktail Lounge seems to be curating a more thoughtful experience than a slightly-too-tipsy night at 12 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
the museum. CREATE began popping up in 2012 with a yearly MOVED focus on pairing local artists with area chefs and bartenders, but CREATE intends to offer 45- to 60-day residencies for artists in their new space, according to the group’s Indiegogo page. With a “charming” but cozy 20-seat capacity in Bow Market, CREATE intends to utilize over
MOVE
COMING SOON
MOVE
When Diva Indian Bistro closed its doors last December after 20 years in business, the status of its coveted Davis Square location remained largely unknown until early August when Genki Ya announced its claim of the space. The local sushi chain began just $20,000 of crowdfunding it’s over a decade ago in Brookline received to sling cocktails and before spreading to downtown join some friends together in the Boston and Cambridge, Eater name of art. Boston reports, cultivating an extensive menu in addition to UNION/PORTER sushi including tempura, chicken SQUARE katsu, udon, and soba noodles. COMING MOVED SOON Although signs are already up on FINESSE PASTRIES the new location, the Genki Ya It seems a sort-of “macaronwebsite doesn’t list an opening boum” is coming, and we’re not date as of press time. alone in our suspicion. New
hile Juliet’s rotating dinner menu is always a source of eager, mouth-watering studying for us here at Scout HQ, we understand that some folks prefer their consistent favorites in a restaurant. No shame—Juliet seems to get it too, which is possibly why their breakfast and a la carte menus are now all-day affairs, according to a press release from the restaurant. The themed dinner menu is still on rotation, of course, but now you can order the restaurant’s breakfast taco long after the sun’s gone down, just as any breakfast-for-dinner-loving disciple would want it.
UNION SQUARE
COMING SOON
With nearly 50 years of history behind former Davis Square club Johnny D’s and its truly extravagant send-off parade back in 2016, the hope for a new cultural hub to replace it is high, and hopefully Waikiki is up to the challenge. Aiming to be a “fast-order” sushi and poke spot, according to Boston Restaurant Talk, Waikiki will be the groundfloor tenant in a four-story development that will include some residential space. No further construction plans have been announced, which gives the Waikiki owners plenty of time to figure out how to party just as hard as the previous tenants did.
Photo, top left, by Brian Samuels Photography. Photo, top right, by Reena Karasin.
CITY BEAT already have a ban in place on styrofoam, Rep. Connolly added that he’s “absolutely committed” to sponsoring any legislation from the campaign. UNION SQUARE
THE COMEDY STUDIO’S MARKET DEBUT
BLUE BIKES CONTINUES GROWING AMID OPERATOR’S LYFT ACQUISITION Docked bike-share system Blue Bikes continued its spree of new stations this summer, adding seven in Somerville alone at the end of July. New locations cropped up at the Assembly Square T station, Somerville Hospital, and the East Somerville Library, according to the Somerville Patch, but bigger news came earlier in the month from Blue Bikes’ operator Motivate—that the New Yorkbased bike-share conglomerate had been bought by Lyft for an undisclosed sum, according to Boston Business Review, heralding the transportation supergiant’s first foray into the bike-share world.
GOODBYE, STYROFOAM?
State Rep. Mike Connolly partnered with the ecoadvocacy group Environment Massachusetts along the Mystic River on Aug. 9 to officially support a statewide ban of polystyrene. Known more commonly as styrofoam, the substance is regarded as “one of the worst forms of single-use plastic,” according to Environment Massachusetts Campaign Director Jake Taber in an interview with the Somerville Journal. Considering his constituencies in Cambridge and Somerville
Having made the switch from the third floor of COMING a Chinese restaurant MOVED SOON in Harvard Square to a centerpiece space in Union Square’s budding Bow Market, The Comedy Studio’s new theater feels like a deserving upgrade for one of the area’s quirkiest, but most revered entertainment hubs for more than two decades. The new Comedy Studio has over 100 seats in its main theater along with a lounge area, concession stand, and connecting staircase to Remnant Brewery’s patio on the first floor, the Cambridge Day reports. Additionally, the club’s September opening will be followed by special, as-yetannounced appearances over the next couple months by “comedic talent that has propelled the club to success,” according to a press release.
BIRD SCOOTERS
Bird Scooters made some enemies in high places after its surprise rollout this summer. “The City had no knowledge of Bird’s launch last week, and there is no contract, license, or agreement in place to allow them to operate in Somerville at this time,” Jaclyn Rossetti, a spokesperson for the city, told Scout in an email shortly after the launch. The scooter company ran into similar trouble in San Francisco earlier this year when the city sent a cease and desist letter, leading a city attorney to call Bird “a public nuisance” and “unlawful,” according to Bloomberg.
FALL into FLOAT this season and discover the many positive changes it can bring. • STRESS REDUCTION • ANXIETY RELIEF • PAIN RELIEF
• INCREASED RELAXATION • MORE RESTFUL SLEEP
• MORE POSITIVE OUTLOOK
515 MEDFORD ST (MAGOUN SQUARE) • 844-44-FLOAT WWW.FLOATBOSTON.COM scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 13
14 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
WELLNESS
BY REENA KARASIN
GYM
THE TRAINING ROOM
With every project we strive to provide thoughtful, innovative, and sustainable solutions which enhance lives, experiences, and surroundings. Our design style is contextual and reflects client individuality. Whether in a home, workplace, restaurant, or learning environment, the goal is to create architecture which meets your needs and provides inspiration.
691A SOMERVILLE AVE., (617) 284-6088 373 WASHINGTON ST., (617) 764-1015 THETRAININGROOMBOSTON.COM ACUPUNCTURE
OPEN SPACE COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE 70 UNION SQUARE #102, (617) 627-9700 OPENSPACEACUPUNCTURE.COM
In a country where healthcare costs can be off the charts, a pay-what-you-can model of care is refreshing. Pinpointing what you can afford on a scale of $20 to $40 per visit, without having to prove your income level, is just one of the benefits of Open Space Community Acupuncture’s format. Patients are all treated together in a large room, which, in addition to allowing the clinic to set lower prices, can help set a tone of relaxation—what the clinic calls a “healing charge.” YOGA
O2 YOGA
288 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 491-0002 O2YOGA.COM
O2 Yoga draws from the Astanga style (a vinyasa flow class with structured sequences) but puts a bit of a spin on it—a “‘jazz’ version,” the studio’s website explains. The intense, athletic classes are all drop-in, with basics, rajas hour, intermediate, power, and Astanga series levels.
The teachers have all had the same training, which helps make students’ experiences at O2 Yoga cohesive. All teachers adjust their classes to a monthly theme, designed to help yogis improve at certain techniques or poses like chaturanga or lotus pose. DENTIST
KATIE TALMO
180 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 864-6111
“As a member of the ‘pre-fluoride’ generation, I’ve had dental issues my entire life and have provided my previous dentists with a mouthful of complex challenges and a head full of hard-to-forget dental miseries. Dr. Katie has brilliantly helped me with both! From our initial meeting, her pleasant, soft-spoken manner conveyed a sense of calm and patient care I had not previously experienced in the dental chair. I immediately had a sense of her exceptional talent.” —Ellie, a patient of Dr. Katie Talmo
Thank you for voting for us!
Best Architect or Architecture Firm
MASSAGE
MASSAGE THERAPY WORKS
255 ELM ST #302, (617) 684-4000 MASSAGETHERAPYWORKS.COM
Photo by Claire Ellis.
amortondesign.com 617.475.0778 info@aMortonDesign.com scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 15
SCOUT’S HONORED
SERVICES
BY REENA KARASIN
Stanhope Framers FRAME SHOP
55 BOW ST., (617) 666-2000 STANHOPEFRAMERS.COM
BEST ARCHITECT OR ARCHITECTURE FIRM
AMORTON DESIGN 561 WINDSOR ST. (617) 894-0285 AMORTONDESIGN.COM
“After interviewing several architects/ designers in the area, we knew immediately Andrea was the one for us. Fabulous vision and always available. She was amazing at dealing with the zoning hearings with City Hall. We could never have realized this project without her.” —Robert Bellino, an aMorton Design client
16 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
After decades in the framing business, Stanhope Framers owner Richard Siegel still gets excited about his job. “We get to see amazing artwork,” he says. “One of the perks of the job is what we get to see—and not only see, but touch, up close and personal. And that still, even after 40 years, is like, ‘This is awesome.’” Siegel, who was an art major in college, is not the only one at Stanhope Framers who’s driven by a love of art. In fact, he says that everyone who works there is passionate about some form of art. The Union Square shop’s showroom displays seemingly endless frame samples, but even more impressive is the sprawling production space—10 times the size of the showroom—where the building, spraying, and matting happen. What Stanhope Framers can “frame” goes far beyond rectangular, two-dimensional artwork. They’ve made custom mounts for a sword, bases for sculptures, circular frames, and a display box for a G.I. Jane action figure. And the most challenging projects are Siegel’s favorites. “It’s endless,” Siegel says of the range of work Stanhope Framers can do. “Without being crass, if you have enough time and money, we can frame it.”
Photo, top, by Skyela Heitz. aMorton Design kitchen photo by Patrick Rogers. Photo, top right, courtesy of Jason Corey Photography. Photos, middle right and bottom right, by Derek Kouyoumjian.
BEST PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEOGRAPHY
JASON COREY PHOTOGRAPHY 90 UNION SQUARE JASONCOREYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM JASON@JASONCOREYPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
DOG WALKING
W
Celebrating 90 Years
e’re proud to be celebrating 90 years of serving the local community. Naveo was founded in 1928 by 27 courageous men with a mission of providing a safe place to save their money. Today we honor their legacy by continuing to help our members and neighbors, staying true to our motto of “Saving Together to Lend to Each Other.”
• Naveo started as Cambridge Portuguese Credit Union (CPCU) in 1928 in Inman Sq.
SECOND CHANCES DOG WALKING & SITTING
SECONDCHANCEWALKING@GMAIL.COM SECONDCHANCEWALKING.COM
Second Chances owner Jill Stammer thinks pit bulls and other “bully breeds” have gotten a bad rap. Whereas some dog walking companies won’t take those dogs for fear of bad behavior, Second Chances welcomes them, along with all other breeds, with open arms. Second Chances can train your dog in areas like toy sharing and car anxiety, and offers pet sitting, walks, and play groups. Plus, the team understands that parting with your pet to go to work or out of town can be tough, so they make sure to send you photos and videos of your dog.
• In 1974, we broke ground on what is now our Cambridge branch. • In 1991, we opened our second location - our Somerville Ave. branch. • Our directors established the Carlos Faria & Victor Da Silva Memorial Scholarship in late 1989 to help those in need go to college. • In 2007, we expanded our field of membership to become a community credit union. • We launched a suite of business products and services, including loans to assist local business owners getting the funds they need to be successful.
• We have built strong partnerships in the community with local not-for-profit organizations to bring value beyond just banking products and services.
• Our 2014 name change to Naveo Credit Union now complements our field of membership expansion and is more inclusive of the diverse communities we serve. • Naveo’s range of products and services has grown to include eServices such as online banking, mobile banking and online account opening, so you can bank whenever, wherever.
• In 2018, Naveo celebrated 90 years of serving you – the community where we began.
We thank the community and our members for voting for us! Best Bank or Credit Union
FLORIST
WAGNER FLORAL DESIGNS 508 SOMERVILLE AVE., (617) 764-1428 WAGNERFLORALDESIGNS.COM
493 SOMERVILLE AVENUE • SOMERVILLE • NAVEO.ORG
scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018
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SCOUT’S HONORED
VETERINARIAN
Artisan’s Asylum COMMUNITY CLASSES
10 TYLER ST., (617) 284-6878, ARTISANSASYLUM.COM MEET LARS HASSELBLAD TORRES, ARTISAN ASYLUM’S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m an artist. I work in the collage media, and these days really just sewing paper, I make large-scale installations that I use either as sculptural work or as theatrical backgrounds. I’m also an educator; I really believe powerfully in out-of-school learning, the opportunity to enrich what happens in the classroom through mentoring-based relationships and hands-on projects. I’m also, I guess I would say, a public scholar. I feel pretty passionately about American democracy, as well as community-based participation and the mechanisms and methods for engaging everybody and strengthening well-being in our communities. Those are kind of three big buckets into which my life fits. 18 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
What drew you to Artisan’s Asylum? I’ve been familiar with Artisan’s for about five or six years now, and I had the chance to visit Artisan’s a couple of times. I had the opportunity to build and grow a remarkable makerspace up in Burlington [Vt.], and when I learned that Artisan’s was going through a pretty big community and cultural and business shift, it just seemed like an amazing opportunity to get involved with this extraordinary community, early founders of the maker movement in the U.S. How would you characterize that shift that you spoke about, that pivotal moment that Artisan’s is in? From what I understand, first of all, just from a management perspective, the idea of having a full-time executive director is something that has some implications for not only how business strategy is developed,
with the board and community stakeholders and members, but also it has a little bit to do with how decisions get made internally. The other side is from a business perspective. Artisan’s has grown extraordinarily well over the last eight years, as truly a community-led enterprise, and it’s busting at the seams a little bit. It needs to find out where it can achieve efficiencies, from a pure balance-sheet perspective, lowering costs while achieving very strong results, and also where are some of the opportunities to grow and build in more revenue. Those might be education programs, community outreach programs, partnerships, corporate partnerships. And then there’s this longerterm question about where’s Artisan’s going to be five, 10 years from now? Are we going to remain a 40,000-square-foot business, or are we going to have the opportunity to grow our footprint? What is that going to look like? Are there any big ideas that you have? Right now we’re an inward-facing business; where we excel is where we provide outstanding, affordable services to artists and fabricators. What could that look like if we created a public engagement side of that business as well? Is it possible to create, for example, some kind of entertainment experience for the public that builds revenue, that educates folks about the maker movement, about manufacturing in the fourth Industrial Revolution, introduces them to VR, introduces them to AI, some of these really critical technologies that are going to be a part of our future, but introduce them in a way that is challenging, exciting, playful, fun? Another big idea is to say what would Artisan’s look like if we really became Boston’s premier location for educating young people in the tools and technologies of the future— whether that’s apprenticeshiptype programs or short-term, after school activities in which they dive deep into concepts like
PORTER SQUARE VETERINARIAN
360 SUMMER ST., (617) 628-5588 PORTERSQUAREVET.COM
LANDSCAPING
GREEN CITY GROWERS 600 WINDSOR PL., (617) 776-1400 GREENCITYGROWERS.COM
MECHANIC
MIKE’S AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES 1 UNION SQUARE, (617) 623-1009 MIKESAUTO.COM
MOVING COMPANY
GENTLE GIANT MOVING COMPANY
29 HARDING ST., (617) 661-3333 GENTLEGIANT.COM
PRINTING SERVICES SHIPPING SERVICES
THE UPS STORE, SOMERVILLE AVE.
519 SOMERVILLE AVE., (617) 591-0199 SOMERVILLE-MA-4978. THEUPSSTORELOCAL.COM
BANK OR CREDIT UNION
NAVEO CREDIT UNION 493 SOMERVILLE AVE. (617) 547-3144, NAVEO.ORG
INSURANCE AGENCY
WEDGWOOD-CRANE & CONNOLLY INSURANCE AGENCY 19 COLLEGE AVE., (617) 625-0781 WCCINS.COM
REAL ESTATE AGENCY REAL ESTATE AGENT - TEAM JEN AND LYNN
THALIA TRINGO & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE
128 WILLOW AVE., (617) 616-5091 THALIAREALTOR.COM
biomimicry or augmented reality, wearable technologies, accessibility. How do we engage young people in exploring some of these areas? Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and conciseness. Photo by M P Hogan Photography.
BEST DENTIST Best Dentist
Best Dentist
2018 W I N N ER
2017 WINNER
2 0 1 6 WINNE R
2 0 1 5 NO MINE E
2014 WINNER
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES, SOMERVILLE! • FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY • TEETH WHITENING • CROWN AND BRIDGE WORK • RESTORATION OF DENTAL IMPLANTS • VENEERS • CLEAR ORTHODONTIC ALIGNERS
DR . KAT I E TALMO , D .M. D . • 6 1 7 . 8 6 4 . 6 1 1 1 • 1 8 0 HI G HL A ND AV E N U E
SCOUT’S HONORED
DRINKS
BY REENA KARASIN AND TIM GAGNON
Trina’s Starlite Lounge - Bonnie a manager before this most recently. Then I started bartending at a couple places part-time when I started at Starlite, and then they asked me to be the assistant general manager, so now I get to do both, which is really nice, so I’m full-time there now. They’re really amazing bosses and it just kind of felt like the right fit.
What made you want to be a bartender? I just really like bartending—I like the social interaction, I like hospitality, I like the idea of welcoming someone and making them feel like they’re having this experience, and you’re making it for them, even if it’s not as cookiecutter as that. It’s really a unique work environment, to always have something new happening, meeting new people. And as I went back into bartending after managing for so long, I really realized that I like bartending, I like coming up with cocktails, I like studying, I like learning, so it all works for me.
BEST BARTENDER
3 BEACON ST., (617) 576-0006, TRINASTARLITELOUNGE.COM Are you from this area? I’m from California originally, and I came to Boston to go to school, and then I didn’t leave. I was a regular at Starlite before I worked there, so I’d been going for many, many years, and it just kind of worked out for me to be
able to work there, and I’m really lucky to be able to work there. It’s such a great restaurant, there are such great people. I’ve been there for almost three years. Were you a bartender elsewhere before? I was a bartender before, I was
What’s one of your favorite cocktails that you’ve come up with? I usually start with the classic cocktails, and then I build from there. I find that sometimes fewer ingredients is better; it’s all well and good to have 20 ingredients in a cocktail but it’s not really me, I like to let things come out on their own. I do this thing every Sunday brunch—it’s my favorite
shift on the bar—I do this thing where I freeze a cocktail and I pour another cocktail on top of it. I use juices or purees, I freeze fruits or whatever in it. They come out really pretty, they’re called Bonnie’s Boozy Cubes. And I do something different every week, and it’s pretty cool because it’s sort of this evolving cocktail as you’re drinking it, it keeps changing flavor as the things are melting. Sunday morning’s your favorite shift? Why? It’s funny, if you ask most people in the industry they would not say that Sunday brunch is their favorite. I’ve always liked brunch, the only thing that’s hard about it is that it’s early in the morning, but otherwise brunch is really fun. I find that people come in, they want to relax and have fun, they’re not in a rush to get anywhere, they’re just hanging out with you, and we have a ton of regulars on Sunday. Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and conciseness.
BREWERY
AERONAUT BREWING CO. 14 TYLER ST., (617) 987-4236 AERONAUTBREWING.COM
LIQUOR STORE
SAV-MOR LIQUORS
15 MCGRATH HIGHWAY, (617) 628-6444 SAVMORSPIRITS.COM
WINE SHOP
BALL SQUARE FINE WINES 716 BROADWAY, (617) 623-9500 BALLSQUAREFINEWINES.COM
20 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
Photos by Gabrielle Chiongbian.
CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIAN
Favorite Sushi: Ika Wasabi
Favorite Sushi: Aki Unagi
Best Liquor Store
Best Liquor Store
THANK YOU SOMERVILLE WE ALREADY SPENT THE PRIZE MONEY ON SCRATCH TICKETS AND BLOW
15 MCGRATH HIGHWAY, SOMERVILLE 233 ALEWIFE BROOK PARKWAY, CAMBRIDGE 2153 MYSTIC VALLEY PARKWAY, MEDFORD 48 BROADWAY, MALDEN
We deliver through the Drizly and Minibar Apps! NO PANTS REQUIRED!
JOSE
Favorite Sushi: Torched Salmon Belly
JUAN
Favorite Sushi: Honey Hotate Pecorino
ROBBIN
Favorite Sushi: Smoky Lemon Hamachi
That’s How We Roll Best Sushi
Best Sushi
617-764-5556 • EBISUSHI.COM 290 SOMERVILLE AVE, SOMERVILLE
FREE PARKING AT MIKE’S AUTO AFTER 6 P.M.
MON–THUR: 11:30AM-3:30PM, 5-10PM FRI: 11:30AM–3:30PM, 5–10:30PM SAT: 11:30AM–10:30PM • SUN: 11:30AM–10PM
ials hly Mondt ent Spec Stu
Best Burgers
Thank you for voting us Best Hair Cut, Best Hair Color & Best Hair Salon AGAIN!
1/2 PRICE BURGERS MON & WED, 8-10:30PM (Rules apply)
OPEN DAILY: 11AM - 11PM
282 BEACON STREET, SOMERVILLE • 617-492-7773 • WWW.RF-OSULLIVAN.COM
BEST HAIR SALON: 2013–2018 BEST HAIR COLOR: 2016–2018 BEST HAIRCUT: 2016–2018
217 HIGHLAND AVENUE, SOMERVILLE • 617-776-6470 WWW.HAIRBYCHRISTINEANDCO.COM
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SCOUT’S HONORED
COCKTAILS
BACKBAR
7 SANBORN CT., (617) 718-0249 BACKBARUNION.COM
FRIGHTENED TIGER
BEER PROGRAM
FIVE HORSES TAVERN 400 HIGHLAND AVE. (617) 936-3930 FIVEHORSESTAVERN.COM
The throbbing bass of a reggae song cuts through Five Horses as beverage director Ira Vogel silently scrolls through the beer app Untappd, reviewing his perennially changing beer menu in a corner booth. Starting as a server/busser six years ago, Vogel quickly glommed onto the local craft beer culture surrounding Five Horses, eventually taking on both locations’ beer programs and providing input on wine and liquor selection, marketing strategy, and Instagram. “When I got into the industry, I was really young,” he says. “I was like 21 or 22, so I really had been drinking only, like, college beers at that point. Working here was what got me really interested in beer, maybe to a point of obsession.” 22 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
Listing off some of his most memorable selections over the years, Vogel sounds somewhere between a tastemaker and a provocateur, mentioning mushroom beers, beers made with yogurt, and the notorious Borg Brugghús’s Fenrir Nr. 26, an Icelandic ale made with sheep feces. “I think we’re in a unique position here in Somerville, where the people walking through the door and the people in our community are a little more receptive to these new trends of beer,” he says. “We can pour anything from crazy, barrelaged sours to super wacky fruited IPAs. Beers that might be a little too esoteric for a restaurant in South Boston do really well here.” In terms of some of Vogel’s most well-liked, sheep-poop-free beers of late, the Crooked Stave Sour Rosé is a dry, but pleasantly tart ale loaded with berries and fermented inside a large barrel known as a foeder. On the less sour end of the spectrum, Proclamation’s Derivative Galaxy Pale Ale is a citrusy, late-summer
refresher with notes of tea and herbs, while Finback’s latest double IPA is a testament to the New York brewery’s consistency and the reigning appeal of IPAs. “Any brewery that’s brewing a really successfully made, delicious, hazy IPA is going to do well with that,” Vogel explains. “If you run the numbers on the menu across the board, that’s what we’re pouring the most of, particularly Fiddlehead, Trillium, and Mystic when we get it.” Although Vogel humbly admits that he didn’t predict the latest craze in IPAs (“Everyone’s making these IPAs with lactose sugar and vanilla in them”), Five Horses has cultivated an environment where staff at all levels are involved and valued in the quest of trying to predict the best of what’s next. “Our staff is all really into beer as well, which is great because they can be trying things alongside us,” Vogel says. “That’s what also makes it kind of special, because you get to have a conversation about it.”
GIN (GUAVA) BLOSSOMS
BANANAKIN SKYWALKER Photos by Gabrielle Chiongbian.
ca
Thank you Scout Readers for voting us BEST FRAME SHOP!
Bec
Andy
Katie
Best Frame Shop
Best Frame Shop
STANHOP E FRAMERS
Thank You Somerville! Love, Katie & Andy
Becca! Best Barista
Best Coffeeshop
Experts in the art and craft of fine picture framing since 1972
Union Square 55 Bow Street Somerville, MA 02143 617-666-2000
Back Bay 411 Marlborough Street Boston, MA 02115 617-262-0787
www.StanhopeFramers.com
278 HIGHLAND AVE • 3LITTLEFIGS.COM • (617) 623-3447
Best Pet Supplies
THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST PET SUPPLIES IN SOMERVILLE!
@DADDYJONESBAR
Now offering CRATE-FREE BOARDING at our brand new Peabody location with home pick-up/drop-off!
Best Greek Food
525 Medford Street, Somerville / 617-690-9095 / daddyjonesbar.com
321 Somerville Ave, Somerville 134 Newbury St, Peabody
riverdogdaycare.com scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 23
SCOUT’S HONORED
FOOD
Sarma
249 PEARL ST., (617) 764-4464, SARMARESTAURANT.COM
Chef Cassie Piuma’s goal at Sarma is to make the familiar new by infusing Middle Eastern flavors and techniques into dishes where you don’t expect them. “I have a passion and love for those flavors,” Piuma says. “I want to take those flavors and make them approachable and comfortable for people who are unfamiliar with them, make them reminiscent of things they understand and know.” For instance, her Armenian cheesesteak sandwich takes Philadelphia’s official food and replaces the traditional shaved beef with sujuk, an Armenian sausage with tons of cumin and paprika. She serves it on a housemade pita torpedo topped with shredded lettuce, hot pepper pickles, string cheese, and garlic mayonnaise. Does it work? Well, her husband and his family are from Philly and they’ve given it their approval. Piuma’s favorite Middle Eastern gateway spice is sumac, which she says is both approachable and interesting. “At
24 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
its core, it has this bright, citrusy, almost lemony quality to it. It freshens food up, makes it light, very rich, and kind of brings this effervescence. I think it embodies Turkish and Middle Eastern food.” You’ll find that kind of fusion approach in the shishito peppers, which are blistered and layered with halloumi (a brined sheep’s milk cheese) and served on a tomatillo tabouleh with spicy tahini and toasted pepitas. She describes the dish as “Mexican flair, Turkish technique.” Then there’s the lamb loin chops with their kalamata olive tapenade and whipped feta butter, served with broiled figs drizzled with smoked honey. Or the halibut dolmades, the fish wrapped in savoy cabbage leaves along with wild Greek spices, ginger, and puffed rice, then floated in a broth of miso, chicken stock, and eggs. Piuma says that Sarma has always been a community-driven restaurant, and that her goal is for people to “feel at ease, feel at home, and walk out the door feeling better than they did when they came in.” Job well done, chef.
Photos by Derek Kouyoumjian.
BY ERIC FRANCIS AND REENA KARASIN
ITALIAN
POSTO
187 ELM ST., (617) 625-0600, POSTOBOSTON.COM
Posto combines local, seasonal foods with ingredients from Italy, homemade mozzarella, and a roaring, 850-degree-plus wood-burning oven to offer up an extensive selection of pizzas. In addition to traditional red pizzas, Posto has several white options, including one with roasted apple, applewood bacon, gorgonzola crema, arugula, caramelized onions, and vincotto (cooked wine). But the menu goes far beyond pizza—you can expect grilled octopus, gnocchi with braised beef short ribs, pan-roasted salmon, and more. RESTAURANT IN ASSEMBLY SQUARE
RIVER BAR
661 ASSEMBLY ROW, (617) 616-5561, RIVER-BAR.COM
There are three words right near the top of River Bar’s website—small, creative, lively—and they encapsulate exactly what’s so great about it. The diversity on its one-page menu promises to engage your culinary imagination. Bored with brunch Benedicts? Try the pork schnitzel with gravy, served on an English muffin with fried eggs. Need a ’cue fix? The tuna poke is barbequed ahi with pineapple and rice cakes. Even the Caesar salad is transformed by the presence of kale, the queen of leafy greens, along with roasted mushrooms and brown butter croutons. Beautiful plates of inspired flavors, accompanied by imaginative cocktails, served in a cozy space. BUTCHER
MCKINNON’S MEAT MARKET
239 ELM ST., (617) 666-0888 MCKINNONSMEATMARKET.COM
PIZZA KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT
FLATBREAD COMPANY 45 DAY ST., (617) 776-0552 FLATBREADCOMPANY.COM/SACCO
COFFEE SHOP OR CAFE BARISTA – BECCA
TACOS
278 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 623-3447 3LITTLEFIGS.COM
44 BROADWAY, (617) 625-3830 TACOLOCOMEXICANGRILL.COM
3 LITTLE FIGS
TACO LOCO MEXICAN GRILL
BREAKFAST OUTDOOR DINING
VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN
25 BOW ST., (617) 623-9710 THENEIGHBORHOODRESTAURANT.COM
CATERING
CHEAP EATS
156 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 285-0167 CUISINEENLOCALE.COM
THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT & BAKERY
TENÓCH MEXICAN
TACO PARTY
711 BROADWAY, (617) 764-0683 TACOPARTYTRUCK.COM
CUISINE EN LOCALE
382 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 764-1906 TENOCHMEXICAN.COM
GREEK
SWEET TOOTH SATISFYER
525 MEDFORD ST., (617) 690-9095 DADDYJONESBAR.COM
UNION SQUARE DONUTS 20 BOW ST., (617) 209-2257 UNIONSQUAREDONUTS.COM
BURGER
R.F. O’SULLIVAN & SON 282 BEACON ST., (617) 491-9638 RFOSULLIVANS.COM
SUSHI
EBI SUSHI
290 SOMERVILLE AVE., (617) 764-5556 EBISUSHI.COM
DADDY JONES BAR
RESTAURANT IN DAVIS SQUARE
ROSEBUD AMERICAN KITCHEN & BAR
381 SUMMER STREET, (617) 629-9500 ROSEBUDKITCHEN.COM
RESTAURANT IN TEELE SQUARE
TRUE BISTRO
1153 BROADWAY, (617) 627-9000 TRUEBISTROBOSTON.COM
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SCOUT’S HONORED
GOURMET OR SPECIALTY FOOD
DAVE’S FRESH PASTA 81 HOLLAND ST., (617) 623-0867 DAVESFRESHPASTA.COM
From artisanal sandwiches to wine to, of course, fresh pasta, Dave’s has it all. Fresh pasta ready for you to take home and cook comes in over 30 flavors (think cilantro lime, lemon rosemary, pumpkin, squid ink, or toasted fennel), and dozens of handmade ravioli are on offer, including goat cheese and caramelized leek; duck, porcini, and Great Hill Blue Florentine; sea scallop and lemon;
Tasty Mo:Mo
RESTAURANT IN BALL SQUARE
SOUND BITES
704 BROADWAY, (617) 623-8338 SOUNDBITESCAFE.COM
Mixtape or mash-up or fusion, call it what you will. Wherever two or more things of disparate origins are brought together, the sum is greater than its parts. At Sound Bites, the Middle East is getting in the blender with American diner classics, and
TAKEOUT
503 MEDFORD ST. (617) 764-0222 TASTYMOMO.COM Chef-owner Sophia Thakali says it’s easy to explain her shop’s namesake food to a first-timer: “In English, it’s called a dumpling. That would pretty much give an idea of what exactly momo is,” she says. But oh, the infinite varieties that go inside those little purses of dough! In Thakali’s native Nepal, chicken and buff—as in buffalo—are very popular. But since “it’s hard to find buff meat” in Massachusetts, she goes for her personal favorite: 26 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
pork. Try it in the chilli momo, with its house-made sauce of spices and habanero peppers— tangy, spicy, and sweet. But the hands-down favorite of her customers is the chicken momo, she says, which brings its own flavor to the spicy sauce. There’s also momo soup, a response to Thakali’s realization that New Englanders like soup when it’s cold. In Nepal, soup is served as a side to the momos. Thakali instead makes a clear, thin vegetable broth and simmers momos (with your choice of fillings) in it. Asked what she would eat if she woke up hungry at 3 a.m. with a fridge full of momos, Thakali didn’t hesitate: “Chicken, obviously,” she said. “Any time. Any day. Any time of day.”
and truffled potato, fontina, and chives. For readymade food, turn to the shop’s sandwich bar for combinations including steak and horseradish, beef and boursin, and “Brazilian Hangover Helper.” But pasta and sandwiches are just the tip of the iceberg at Dave’s. Its specialty market includes craft chocolate, fresh produce, and over 300 domestic and European cheeses. And then there’s the wine—Dave’s specializes in wines that are produced in small batches, and offers free wine tastings weekly.
that means things like Jimmy’s Moroccan Eggs, which arrive on sauteeéd onions, peppers, and tomato, with a dash of cumin. Or start your meal with muhammara—red peppers, tahini, walnuts, and breadcrumbs, flavored with pomegranate and lemon juices, served with pita for dipping—followed by fish and chips with onion rings, and finish things off with a Faymousy Chocolate Cocktail (Dutchcraft vodka, chocolate, and cream).
BAKERY
LYNDELL’S BAKERY
720 BROADWAY, (617) 625-1793 LYNDELLS.COM
Photos by Derek Kouyoumjian.
Machu Picchu LATIN AMERICAN
307 SOMERVILLE AVE. (617) 628-7070 MACHUPICCHUBOSTON.COM If there’s one thing Rosy Cerna wants people to understand about Peruvian cuisine, it’s that there’s not just one single Peruvian cuisine. “Peru has 25 states and each has their own culture and food,” Cerna, a Peruvian native, explains. So it makes sense that she opened Machu Picchu for one simple reason: “Basically, I was missing my food from home.”
Order the leche de tigre (that’s “tiger’s milk”) and you’ll get a martini glass of shrimp and fish ceviche, the juice of which— according to tradition—is a cure for hangovers. “We have many people who go to the party on Saturday, and definitely on Sunday you have leche de tigre,” says Cerna. “I think it works, because I’ve tried it many times.” Causa limeña is a traditional dish of mashed yellow potatoes layered with chicken, and its name comes from the indigenous Quechua language still spoken by a third of Peruvians, meaning “life” or “sustenance of life.” And Cerna’s favorite item from the brunch menu is the chicharrones, crispy fried pork with sweet potatoes and onion relish. It’s a real home-cooking dish, she says, and one that she enjoys.
ASIAN
LEMON THAI CUISINE
215 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 591-1772, LEMONTHAICUISINESOMERVILLE.COM
Oepkt toberfest S 5th- O
ct 31st
Wednesday, September 5th
TRADITIONAL CEREMONIAL KEG TAPPING TO KICK OFF THE 9-WEEK CELEBRATION
Saturday, September 22nd
• GERMAN FOOD SERVED ALL DAY STARTING AT NOON • CEREMONIAL KEG TAPPING AT 12:30PM – PAULANER WEISN • BAYERN MUNCH MATCH AT 12:30PM • LIVE MUSIC – TRADITIONAL GERMAN MUSIC FROM 12-8PM: 12-3PM TUBAFRAU, 4-8PM BAVARIAN BROTHERS As always there is no cover.
Every Wednesday GERMAN-INSPIRED MENU, 5-11PM
German Beers served in Half and Full Liter Mugs Beer Promotions Each Week (Check website for schedule)
Every Sunday TRADITIONAL GERMAN ROAST
Best Restaura in Magoun Squantre
10 GERMAN BREWED OKTOBERFEST BIERS
Crazy Noodles The “house special spicy sauce” covers basil leaves, stir-fried noodles, and vegetables in this popular dish. The best part is that you can choose from a wide variety of proteins—in addition to the more ubiquitous chicken, beef, and pork options, there’s squid, duck, scallops, and more.
Highland Ave Paradise Lemon Thai Cuisine’s ode to its street: chicken, shrimp, cashews, snow peas, and other veggies in a spicy sauce served over rice. If two meats aren’t enough for you, you can opt to add in beef, squid, mixed seafood, or scallops.
ONE FREE APPETIZER OF YOUR CHOICE WITH THIS COUPON. DUPLICATES NOT ACCEPTED. 1 PER TABLE. UP TO $13 VALUE.
518 Medford St. • Somerville, MA 02145 • (617) 776-2600 • www.magounssaloon.com
518 MEDFORD STREET, SOMERVILLE 617.776.2600 • MAGOUNSSALOON.COM
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scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 27
SCOUT’S HONORED
Highland Kitchen RESTAURANT NOT IN A SQUARE BRUNCH SERVICE STAFF AMERICAN 150 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 625-1131 HIGHLANDKITCHEN.COM
Let us not quibble: Brunch is the best. Especially at Highland Kitchen, where they’re serious about you enjoying it. Hence the Dirty Bird—a fried chicken breast and bacon on a buttermilk biscuit, with a fried egg and sausage gravy. Somebody gimme a “Hell yes!” Not feeling brunchy? Go for the smoked bluefish cakes with mango-mustard hot sauce, which takes an underappreciated fish and transforms it into an appetizer worth coveting. The grilled corn likewise elevates a beloved Mexican street food, with garlic mayo, cotija cheese and chili-lime salt. Or how can you go wrong with a spicy coconut curried goat stew? Served over jasmine rice with fried sweet plantains, it will cure what ails you.
RESTAURANT IN UNION SQUARE
THE INDEPENDENT
75 UNION SQUARE, (617) 440-6022 THEINDO.COM
RESTAURANT IN EAST SOMERVILLE
LA BRASA
124 BROADWAY, (617) 764-1412 LABRASASOMERVILLE.COM
Wood plus heat equals smoke. Heat plus steel equals grill. Grill plus smoke plus food equals … well, it may have no equal, when you get right down to it. La Brasa just keeps proving that point. But Chef Daniel Bojorquez understands there’s another element to the equation: 28 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
people. From humankind’s earliest days, the hearth was the focus of the home, and in La Brasa, Bojorquez has captured that essence and created a third space that embraces diners like family, where the kitchen is steps away from the table and the food speaks in every tongue. So order up the pork chop with green tomatillo barbeque sauce, or the roasted skate wing with capers, hazelnut, and fingerling potatoes, and let the wood and smoke and heat into your belly.
Union Square is a focal point for Somerville, and The Independent is a focal point for Union Square. It’s a place to begin the night with a cocktail, perhaps the Evil Twin’s Brother (gin, blanc vermouth, rose water, bitters) or the Somerville Sling (rum, applejack, amaretto, lemon, ginger beer, bitters). While you’re there, why not indulge in some dinner? Creamy, cheesy risotto primavera with asparagus, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and corn; classic bangers and mash, heady with garlic and rich with Guinness gravy; and definitely the Prince Edward Island mussels with chorizo and arugula in a mustard cream sauce. And since you’re already there, end the night among friends, with a bowl of popcorn and a plate of Indo poutine for the table.
RESTAURANT IN MAGOUN SQUARE BAR EATS
OLDE MAGOUN’S SALOON 518 MEDFORD ST., (617) 776-2600 MAGOUNSSALOON.COM
Believe it or not, there was an era when the term “bar food” was a red flag. It didn’t mean things like roasted garlic and preserved lemon hummus, or pizza from a brick oven. It didn’t envision Irish chicken curry, couldn’t have encompassed a Florentine eggs Benedict, not to mention ahi tuna. Fortunately, such dark days are long past, and you can enjoy serious food and thoughtprovoking beers in a boisterous and friendly pub that cares about you (and your taste buds) enough to offer you small-batch bourbon while you watch rugby with your friends. We are living in a magical time, people!
Photos, top, by Derek Kouyoumjian. Photo, bottom left, by Sasha Israel. Photo, bottom right, courtesy of Olde Magoun’s Saloon.
Making a difference in the world one momo at a time Sophie Thakali left her family and friends behind in Nepal in 2006 with the intention of becoming a CPA here in the U.S. Traveling with her, were the tasty, traditional dumplings from Nepal and Tibet, known as momos. After years of making them for her admiring friends, she decided to leave her accounting job and start her own dumpling shop. Tasty Mo:Mo: is not only a venture to represent Nepali food; It also has an initiative to feed children back in Nepal through the “Food for Education” trust. A portion for every plate of momos sold is donated to Food for Education. Tasty Mo:Mo: has expanded its charitable vision to provide free food to local organizations when needed and asked.
Thank you for voting Tasty Mo:Mo” Best Takeout Best Takeout
617-764-0222 • 503 Medford St, Somerville • tastymomo.com
Best Breakfast
Best Outdoor Dining
Thank you for your votes! We also serve lunch, beer and wine!
Best Vegan or Vegetarian
BUILDING TACOS FROM THE GROUND UP
SINCE 2013
WWW.THENEIGHBORHOODRESTAURANT.COM 25 BOW ST, SOMERVILLE • (617) 623-9710
711 BROADWAY, SOMERVILLE
617-764-0683
tacopartytruck.com scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 29
SCOUT’S HONORED
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
BY EMILY FROST, DANA FORSYTHE, AND REENA KARASIN
Winter Hill Brewing Company’s BEER ME!
BEST COMEDY SHOW
328 BROADWAY, (617) 718-2337 WINTERHILLBREWING.COM You might be surprised to learn that Somerville’s best comedy show is run by a brewery. And based on the caliber of Winter Hill Brewing Company’s beer program, you’d guess the owners were focused only on their beer. But Jeff Rowe and Bert Holdredge also want to make the brewery a community gathering place, in part by hosting “unique events,” Holdredge explains. One of those events is BEER ME!, a standup comedy night featuring a rotating cast of a half dozen comedians that typically fills the brewery’s 60-seat cafe. With their “Winter Hill-first business” mentality, Rowe and Holdredge aim to give locals and regulars a place to kick back and, once a month, to laugh. Longtime comedian Dan Crohn, who’s been featured on “Last Comic Standing” and
30 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
“WTF with Marc Maron,” hosts the nearly two-hour show and kicks the night off by taking the stage for a 10-minute set. The comedy is “usually tasteful, but those guys always like to push buttons,” Holdredge says. Just as the brewery was getting off the ground in March 2016, “[Crohn] harassed us for a little while about doing a comedy show here,” Holdredge says. Once they were ready to start hosting events, “Dan was one of the first people we thought of.” Crohn wanted to call the live standup show “Free Beer,” but that was quickly shot down. However, unlike other standup shows where a cover or a drink minimum is common practice, BEER ME! is free. The success comes in part from Crohn’s connections. He’s able to rope in comedians who
are on the road and in town for the night, Holdredge explains. Past comedians have resumes that include appearances on “Late Night with Craig Ferguson,” Comedy Central, and “Laughs” on Fox. Crohn himself is also a pull: “He’s a good dude and he’s funny, so it works out well,” Holdredge explains. The brewery’s bar eats—which range from cauliflower buffalo wings to pork shoulder sliders—keep the crowd happy too, he says. While BEER ME! is a fun night, it also serves a crucial business purpose. “Winter Hill’s a pretty small community, so there’s only so many days you’re going to go out to the same place and eat the same food and drink beer … We’re happy to get people in and give them a different reason to come,” says Holdredge. With beer available six
days a week and the cafe seven, Winter Hill Brewing Company wants to be the place you never have to leave. “Come in on a weekday and ‘work from home’ with our free wifi and have breakfast and coffee, and then afternoon hits, you can have lunch and beer— we’re here for you all the time,” Holdredge says.
EVENTS SPACE
ARTS AT THE ARMORY 191 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 718-2191 ARTSATTHEARMORY.ORG
MUSIC VENUE
ONCE SOMERVILLE
156 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 285-0167 ONCESOMERVILLE.COM
BEST LOCAL MEDIA
SOMERVILLE MEDIA CENTER
90 UNION SQUARE, (617) 628-8826 SOMERVILLEMEDIA.ORG Photos by Derek Kouyoujmian.
Welcome Back! e. scott originals JEWELRY DESIGN
199B HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 776-2814, ESCOTTORIGINALS.COM You can tell a lot about Emily Surette from her business card. Looking at its photo of her at about four years old, decked out in dozens of bracelets and necklaces, it’s hard to imagine her becoming anything other than a jewelry maker. “I started making jewelry by just doing beaded things, and I always really liked making things with my hands,” she says. “From the very get-go, I was always making things.” She studied jewelry making at the North Bennet Street School, a trade school in the North End. There, she honed her skills and “learned old-world techniques,” developing an identity of herself as a skilled tradesperson rather than an “artist.” Digging into why she resists the term, she emphasises how she views what she creates as practical and usable. “I’ve always been this mix of dirty tomboy and super girly, so it’s really great that I get to be dirty all day, making stuff, getting grimy, but then I make really
pretty things,” she says. “It’s the perfect job for me.” Surette’s tagline for her eight-year-old brand is “The new heirloom.” “It’s everyday, wearable jewelry, but unique,” she says of her style—then backtracks: “I hate all of those words. I say I ‘create the new heirloom.’ I create pieces that are quality and timeless, but there’s something different that you want to hold onto because you could never get it again. I want people to wear my stuff, I don’t want it to be that stuff that they just spent so much money on that sits in a box because they’re worried about wearing it, or because they never know when the right occasion to wear it is.” Surette makes many custom pieces, especially engagement and wedding rings, at e. scott originals. About 90 percent of the diamonds she uses are antiques, she says, and she uses recycled metals, which she hopes makes people feel good about the items they’re buying.
TORE S L L I W E GOOD hood for H T t i s i V ighbor e n r u o in y finds! s u o l u b fa
THANK YOU
Somerville residents for naming us Best Thrift Store for the 4th year in a row! THE GOODWILL STORE 230 ELM STREET (DAVIS SQUARE) SOMERVILLE, MA 617-628-3618 Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday Noon-6 p.m.
MORGAN MEMORIAL GOODWILL INDUSTRIES
www.goodwillmass.org Follow us @goodwillboston
scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 31
SCOUT’S HONORED
Parts and Crafts KID-FRIENDLY ENTERTAINMENT
577 SOMERVILLE AVE. (617) 207-8016 PARTSANDCRAFTS.ORG
F
or Dina Gjertsen, it can be a bit difficult to describe what actually goes on at Parts and Crafts. Where else could you make your own lightsaber, build a doll house, and fix a bike? “It’s really just a place for people to share cool projects, use real tools, where children can learn and make and create and build things together,” says Gjertsen, after school coordinator and general guru for the Somerville makerspace, while walking through the building at 577 Somerville Ave. Bridget Kramer, a 8-yearold who lives in the city, takes classes like writing, fire safety, and robotics. But she excitedly explains that she also takes more offbeat courses, such as “Argue Like A Lawyer,” “Tent Cities,” and “Microscope History of the Universe,” in which students look into the early beginnings of the universe. Parts and Crafts aims to democratize technology, promote self-direction, and prioritize economic accessibility. But the staff is also focused on creating a warm, friendly environment for kids and adults looking to learn. Founded by Will Macfarlane in 2009, Parts and Crafts started as a member-supported family makerspace and community workshop. Through the years, 32 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
it has grown to include schoolvacation camps, a full-time school-alternative program, and after-school and weekend classes and workshops. What sets Parts and Crafts apart from other makerspaces is its attention to inclusion. All of the makerspace’s major programming is set on a slidingscale with as many free slots as the organization can afford, and every Saturday there are free, drop-in hours open to anyone. Gjertsen says that through the years, staff members at Parts and Crafts have forged connections with local partners and area schools to bring their services to as many kids as possible. “As we’ve grown and gotten better at outreach, we’ve learned that sliding scale on its own cannot raise enough money to make our programs affordable and sustainable,” Gjertsen says. “We are almost entirely participant-funded, so the continued existence and success of our programs depends on memberships and full-price enrollments and other kinds of financial support from our community.” For the most part, Gjertsen says, wealthier families in Somerville have sought out private technology education in the past. The goal of a sliding scale model, Gjertsen says, is to create an income-diverse learning environment where
children from these families pay full tuition to offset those who attend at a lower rate, allowing Parts and Crafts to operate without dependence on outside grants and funding. The Somerville makerspace has also teamed up with the Freedom Connexion and the Welcome Project, community programs that work with lower-income and immigrant communities in Somerville, to get underserved kids into their programs. Chelsea resident Mike Gasper, who was an art teacher at the Lincoln School in Revere, joined Parts and Crafts a few years back as a summer camp counselor. “We’ve been coming here for three years and I just love it,” he says while making a puppet stage with his daughter and son. “As an art teacher, it’s so much of what I loved to do before. Now, it’s just a great combination of the work I love and spending time with family.” For his daughter, Chloe, the appeal lies in the other students at Parts and Crafts and the projects they work on. Her brother, Michael, says that since joining he’s become involved in creating and exploring puppetry. “I love to draw and paint and I really got into puppets recently,” he says. “I love being here, building and hanging out with friends.” Michael exemplifies what
staffers are going for day in and day out, Gjertsen says. “He’s a great example, he was kind of interested in puppets in a vague way when he came,” she says. “But now, he’s making scenery, making complex puppets, doing their voices, and even teaching some of the younger kids.” “Kids get to come here, see what excites them, and get into it at their own speed,” she adds. For Gjertsen, who got her start at the makerspace a few years back, each day is spent doing things she would be doing anyway. Previously a theater teacher, a Museum of Science worker, and a game designer, Gjertsen was introduced to the makerspace’s founders when her Somerville Tool Library project—a program where people can borrow tools for a week—was folded into Parts and Crafts. Through the years, even through the eyes of her own 9-year-old child, Gjertsen says she’s seen the enormous difference Parts and Crafts makes for local kids. “Programs like these are so important,” she says. “For kids who have problems at school or who have a hard time transitioning from one thing to another, this allows them the benefits of autonomy.” “What better way for kids to learn than pursuing the things that excite them?” she asks. Photo by Dana Forsythe.
40 Prospect St • Cambridge
ImprovBoston.com • 617-576-1253
See a Show! Throw a Party!
ass!
Cl Take a
Host a Corporat e Workshop ! Best Comedy Show or Club
THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST INSURANCE AGENCY - AGAIN!
Best Insurance Agency
Fall Check-Up Time Home • Apartment • Auto WEDGWOOD - CRANE & CONNOLLY INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.
Best Jewelry
617-625-0781 | www.WCCINS.com 19 College Ave, Somerville (next to Davis Sq T)
CAMBRIDGE 617.864.1639
HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS • AUTO • RENTERS
BOSTON 617.874.7711
NORTHAMPTON 413.584.0905
www.rebekahbrooks.com
scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 33
SCOUT’S HONORED
BEAUTY
BY EMILY FROST AND REENA KARASIN
TATTOO OR PIERCING
THE BOSTON TATTOO COMPANY
260 ELM ST. SUITE 102, (617) 625-8282, BOSTONTATTOO.COM As soon as he got his first tattoo at 18, Jason Zube was hooked. “I liked the whole vibe of the shop, I liked the music they were playing, and I just remember how comfortable everybody looked. The guy was wearing a jean jacket with a hoodie underneath it, and he was just sitting there listening to the Rolling Stones,” he says. In a time before the internet, Zube couldn’t conceal his curiosity. “The second she started tattooing me, I probably drove her crazy with all the questions I asked.” He turned to tattoo magazines and books, and worked his way up from a counter job at a nearby tattoo shop. In 2004, Zube started a tattoo parlor on Somerville
Avenue called The Painted Bird, which later morphed into The Boston Tattoo Company. At the shop—which has locations in Davis Square, Cambridge, and Medford—Zube tries to recreate the balance between professionalism and fun that he saw when he was 18. “I try to make the tattoo experience as memorable as my first time,” he says. “We want people to joke and laugh and have fun and be relaxed. We want people to come back and enjoy themselves, and it’s really hard to do that because it’s like saying ‘Oh, I’m looking forward to going to the dentist’—it’s expensive and it’s painful and it’s permanent. We want to make it as fun as possible.”
BARBERSHOP
MANICURE
RAZORS BARBERSHOP & SHAVE PARLOR 308 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 625-4444 RAZORSBARBERSHOP.COM
SKIN CARE
NOEL HERBAL SKINCARE 689 SOMERVILLE AVE., (617) 784-0259 AHANNON-NOEL.COM
34 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
BLISS NAILS
481 ARTISAN WAY, (617) 616-5587 BLISSANDSPA.COM
EYEBROW SERVICES
THREADING STUDIO 483 MEDFORD ST., (617) 718-0675 THREADING-STUDIO.COM
Photos by Sasha Pedro.
HAIR by Christine & Co. HAIR SALON - HAIR BY CHRISTINE & CO. HAIRCUT - HAIR BY CHRISTINE & CO., CHRISTINE HAIR COLOR - HAIR BY CHRISTINE & CO., ASHLEY 217 HIGHLAND AVE., (617) 776-6470 HAIRBYCHRISTINEANDCO.COM
A
repeat Scout’s Honored winner for “Best Hair Salon,” Christine Andrade McSheehy has owned HAIR by Christine & Co. since 2011. The salon has a team of six stylists, including Ashley Claudino, who won this year’s “best hair color” designation. Scout talked to McSheehy about her success and what goes into a truly great haircut. Tell us about how you got to running HAIR by Christine & Co.? I’ve always wanted to be a hairstylist, since I was in the fourth grade. It was pretty much destiny that I would end up being a hairstylist. So I worked all over Somerville at different salons. One of my missions has always been to use the gift that I have for good. We do a lot of outreach work, which I can say definitely puts us in a different bracket from your traditional hair salon. We do a lot of cuta-thons. And one of my biggest missions, for sure, is helping the transgender community. I work specifically with male-to-female transgender women to help them learn the skills involved with hair and makeup. What did you see in other salons that you wanted to incorporate into yours? I always wanted to make sure we had a salon that was filled with education. I don’t believe in staying stuck and not learning
new things. So I wanted to make sure that my salon had an environment where we were learning all the newest, all the best trends, as well as personal development. I feel like a lot of the industry, we’re basically therapists. We deal with a lot of people. There’s a lot of self-love and self-care that you have to do in order to stay in this business for as long as you can. People are more vulnerable in the salon chair? Yes, definitely. Because you’re developing a relationship with them. We’re kind of like an unbiased ear for some people. They become friends, almost like family. We’re more into having the relationships—they don’t just come in to get their hair done. And so you have to make sure your staff feels supported, too? Absolutely. We have meetings where I tell my team they have to write out their goals. I like for two of their 10 goals to be careerdriven, but I want to make sure that the other goals they have are their own life-driven [goals], because I don’t want them to just feel like I’m there for them to make money, that’s the least of my concerns. I want my girls to be happy. If they’re happy, the money comes. How important is having a strong online presence? What’s hard for me is being a sole business owner. Not only do I have to keep my team motivated, have us busy at the salon, making sure we’re doing outreach programs, I’m also in charge of my own social media for the salon, which is like a part-time job in itself. I’m always on the go. In this industry, people go on Instagram and Facebook to find a hairdresser, so if you don’t have a big online presence, it’s harder to reach potential clients, especially younger clients. What’s your advice on how to get ask for and get that great haircut? Because hairdressers are traditionally super visual people, I always say bring [a photo of] something that you absolutely love
and something that’s close enough to what you like, but that you absolutely hate. As a hairdresser if I look at that picture that you hate and I see that the layers are shorter, I know that’s what you don’t like. So not only the picture you like, but you’ve got to bring the one you hate too. If I was somebody getting a haircut for the first time, I would say things like, “I’d rather be too long today and have to come back than it be too short.” You always have to underpromise and overdeliver, and sometimes it comes out perfect, but you have to make sure you’re covered, just in case. What’s trendy in haircuts? I would definitely say low maintenance is huge right now with color and cutting, stuff that’s going to grow out really good, and a lot of texture. I think people are too busy to be in the salon every four weeks. The really straight, blunt looks are fully phasing out because they’re so much more maintenance. People are loving that “lived in” [look], where it doesn’t necessarily look like you just got a haircut. You said you love “drastic changes.” Why? I love people that will go from super long hair and they just want to cut it all off. Color-wise, the people who want to dip into the vivids and do something crazy with their hair, which we do a lot of, like the mermaids and unicorns [styles]. It’s always fun to do somebody who’s never had that done, to flip the mirror on them and they’re like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe that’s my head.” What’s your favorite haircut to give? I love pixies. You can’t hide [the cut] with the blow dry. You have to have the technical skill. You have to have the person’s face shape and texture in mind for it to come out great. I love how hard it is. I love a challenge like that. Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and conciseness.
scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 35
SCOUT’S HONORED
SHOPPING
BY NICHOLAS GOLDEN
4 GoodVibes
KIDS SHOP
MAGPIE KIDS
95 ELM ST., (617) 764-4110 MAGPIEKIDS.COM
Insulated Lunch Box, $30
Create A Story Cards, $9.99 (ages 3+)
GIFT SHOP HOME DECOR
483 SOMERVILLE AVE. (617) 764-0234 4GOODVIBES.BIGCARTEL.COM How local can local get? At 4GoodVibes, it’s not only the products and artwork of 132 artists from Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston that are from around the neighborhood, but also the four sisters who run the shop, all raised in nearby Medford. The Pierce sisters—Becca, 23, Emily, 21, Sarah, 25, and Rachel, 27—only started the business in October 2017, but they always had a sense they’d be working together. “We honestly see each other every single day unless [Sarah and Rachel] are away … I kind of envisioned us doing something together,” Becca says. Both she and Emily went to Minuteman Vocational
36 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
High School in Lexington, and paired their courses in business marketing with a passion for crafting that was snuck into a schedule already busy with sports. “Our commute to school each morning was about two hours, so we starting making bracelets and jewelry,” Becca says. “I would tape a bracelet to the back of [Emily] on the bus and kind of make it on the back of her … and then she started doing Etsy and selling them online while I was making them,” she adds. “So then, after high school, we both knew that we wanted to do a business of some sort—and we wanted it to be family-oriented.” With older sister Rachel handling the finances and Sarah often taking a front-facing speaking role, the team of four sisters has created a shop at 483 Somerville Ave. that is filled to the brim with objects both aesthetic and functional, and universally local. The sisters sought out fairs and markets like the popular Central Square Flea to find artists
to rent display space to. A cursory look around 4GoodVibes reveals everything from handmade cups to local salsa, dream catchers to hemp backpacks, and, crucially, numerous customizable gifts like tote bags and wine bags. Jewelry sells well, while Somerville, Boston, and sports-branded items also do good business. According to the sisters, local artists will customize most things with a one- to two-week turnaround. The shop also hosts workshops every month run by local artists, on subjects as varied as cupcake decorating, lotion making, string art, and card making. “It’s usually a lot of girls, and often a lot of girls who are new to the area,” Becca says, noting that sometimes they even go out after for drinks. The workshops have also been the setting for birthday parties. “It’s all local artists, all locally handmade—people don’t get it until they’ve come in,” she adds.
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321 SOMERVILLE AVE., (857) 998-3343 RIVERDOGDAYCARE.COM Photos by Irina M. / IM Creative Photography.
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St
SCOUT’S HONORED
WILDCARDS
BY REENA KARASIN AND EMILY FROST
Remnant Brewing NEW BUSINESS
2 BOW MARKET WAY (617) 764-0641 REMNANTSOMERVILLE.COM
ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS
NEIGHBORHOOD PRODUCE
415 MEDFORD ST., (617) 702-2811 NBRHOODPRODUCE.COM
Winter Hill resident Matt Gray opened Neighborhood Produce last November to meet a need he saw in his community: access to healthy grocery options without needing a car. Customers return to the store week after week, Gray says, giving it the community feel he’d hoped for. One of the main reasons people come to the store is because it’s really easy to not make grocery shopping a source of 38 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
waste at Neighborhood Produce. First, there’s the bulk food section, which customers tell Gray is a big draw. There are the bulk foods you’d expect—nuts, beans, rice, dried fruit, grains—but also foods that are more unusual for bulk sections, like coffee, oatmeal, spices, and tea. Neighborhood Produce sells reusable spice jars for $1, which Gray says many customers choose to buy. They then return week after week and refill the spice jars with whatever they need. While many people bring their own bags for the bulk food section, Neighborhood Produce offers paper bags—which are more environmentally friendly than the typical plastic. Neighborhood Produce also sells milk in glass bottles, and Gray says that people bring back virtually all of the bottles. “The milk bottles have been very popular … being able to get milk in a bottle or bulk in your own container, along with it being in your neighborhood and being able to walk to it,” Gray says. “You’re really reducing the carbon footprint and the amount of waste associated with getting groceries down near zero.” The store also gives a second life to some “number two produce”—fruits and vegetables that are deemed too visually
This year’s best new business is at once a brewery, a coffee shop, and an event space. Remnant Brewing is Bow Market’s largest tenant, a 15-barrel brewery complete with a beer garden. Head Brewer Charlie Cummings says he likes to brew the types of beer that he’d most like to drink. That means beers made with local ingredients—he’s even grown some hops himself—and lots of saisons and sours. “I’ve got to say Dream Pop,” Cummings answers as to his favorite beer he’s brewed at Remnant. “It’s an oat pale ale—oats give beers a really silk, smooth feel—[which is dry hopped with] juicy hops.” “Charlie’s worked at many different breweries, he’s really fantastic at making this product,” Assistant General Manager Lindsay Donovan explains. “So part of opening up this brewery was to really let him run the show and pick the
unappealing to sell, and are typically destined for processed foods, animal feed, or a trash can. Gray’s commitment to environmentally friendly grocery shopping extends beyond the customer’s experience. In addition to the ways he’s made it easy for shoppers to reduce their waste, Neighborhood Produce is careful about its waste as well. Gray donates most of the store’s leftover food to the Elizabeth Peabody House and Food Link, and the rest is composted. “We pretty much zero waste coming out of the store,” Gray says. “I think it’s something that appeals to people.”
styles he wants to make, pick the types of beers he wants to make, so I think letting people know it’s very experienced, very informed styles of brewing that are going to happen here. Twists on traditional styles that are made a little bit more modern or a little bit crazy can and have driven people in here.” In the morning, people can grab a coffee and do work in the space while watching Cummings make beer. Remnant stocks a variety of coffee blends from Barrington Coffee, located in the Berkshires, tea from MEM Tea, and cafe snacks like croissants from Iggy’s Bread. Customers are welcome to bring food from elsewhere in the complex into the brewery, which is part of Remnant’s push for visitors to engage with the entire complex, co-founder Dave Kushner explains. Another way Remnant is encouraging that is to have events in the brewery and beer garden, many with other tenants from the market. Remnant hosted a succulent arranging night with the Happy Cactus, Hooked set up an oyster bar on the beer garden patio, and the Comedy Studio has had numerous shows in the space.
OLD FAVORITE
RICKY'S FLOWER MARKET 238 WASHINGTON ST., (617) 628-7569 RICKYSFLOWERMARKET.COM
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NEIGHBORHOOD TO SHOP
ASSEMBLY SQUARE
Photo, top, by Irina M. / IM Creative Photography. Photo, bottom, by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
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Choose from 30 different therapeutic modalities or select from 20 exceptional professional therapists. 21 years experience providing clinical bodywork & massage. Visit us online at www.massagetherapyworks.com or call 617-684-4000 Open every day, including 6 evenings for your convenience 255 Elm Street | Davis Square | Somerville
scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 39
SCOUT’S HONORED
Union Square BEST NEIGHBORHOOD TO EAT, LIVE, AND WORK
There’s an undeniable, infectious energy that permeates Union Square these days. A new brewery, dozens of new businesses, and restaurants consistently on regional or national “best of ” lists all contribute to the square’s vibrancy, says Jessica Eshleman, executive director of Union Square Main Streets. If its popularity wasn’t evident, Union Square racked up three Scout’s Honored categories— best neighborhood to eat, live, and work—to prove it. More changes are afoot in the square, including the Green Line Extension, a $1.5 billion mixed-use development, and a new complex in Boynton Yards that’s poised to create office space and hundreds of new apartments. But Union Square Main Streets wants to ensure that longtime local businesses don’t get left in the dust as the revitalization the organization spearheaded in 2005 gets turbocharged. Scout spoke with Eshleman about why the neighborhood stands out and what the future holds. Why do you think Union Square won the “best food” designation? We’ve become a destination because of the caliber and variety of restaurants. Which flavor of the globe do you want to experience? What price point are you working with? Are we talking a French-inspired cuisine like Juliet, or are we talking Peruvian, Mexican, Nepali? Are you looking for a Greek social club experience where you can get special pastries and Greek coffee? There’s this density of so many different possibilities.
40 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
Why are so many chefs flocking to Union Square? There are restaurants like the Neighborhood that have been here for more than 30 years, and Cantina. There are restaurants that have strongholds here. I know that Ken Kelly really infused an additional culinary focus when he opened the Independent. I also think [food is] an extension of that creative economy that’s always been here. There’s a creative maker spirit that’s throughout the square, whether that’s in something like Union Press, all the way to the other extreme of RightHand Robotics or Greentown Labs, where innovation is happening. And, really, cuisine is another expression of that. How do you plan to help the community navigate the upcoming major developments? We are working with a particular focus on strengthening the local businesses that have existed here for many years, or in several cases, many decades. We’re really taking a deep look at what resources we can help connect these businesses with so that we can strengthen their revenue streams so that as rents do rise, because they will, those businesses are prepared to take advantage of all of the new workers and residents that are going to come with this development as well. We’re also really looking at the promotional side of things. How can we market the district as a whole? We’re creating a printed map that will be distributed at destination businesses and elsewhere. Essentially, we’re suggesting itineraries. We’ve curated this list of possibilities for a
customer to take an adventure throughout the square. We’re also partnering up with the city on a campaign that’s designed to support businesses through construction. We know that there’s going to be real impact for businesses and customers as well. This can be something as tactile as signs themselves on street poles and in bus shelters. It could also be an event or merchandise where people are sporting their pride for the community. Another of the approaches we are taking is working in concert with groups like the Neighborhood Council, the master developer US2, the city themselves, and really creating clear lines of communication. Many of these groups have the same goals, which is development done well. What else makes the square a special place? Our incredible international
markets. Union Square has a tradition of having a variety of immigrant populations throughout our history. And that’s really well illustrated by markets that have been here for a long, long time. Whether this is Reliable Market, Mineirao, Bombay Market, Internacional. You can find things in these markets, certain ingredients or certain cookware necessary to make these recipes that you just won’t find at Walmart. It’s an opportunity to try on whole new flavors. I think about the street festivals that happen here: Ignite!, the Evolution of Hip Hop, the Big Gay Dance Party. There’s so much street life because there are groups who want to come and express themselves, and the city has named vibrancy at the street level as a priority. Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and conciseness.
Photos by Irina M. / IM Creative Photography.
S M O K E P I P E S • VA P E JEWELRY • GIFTS N OV E LT I E S • A N D M O R E !
18 UNION SQUARE • 617-764-1760
scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 41
SCOUT OUT!
THE YOUTUBE ICON NEXT DOOR The Creator of ‘Potter Puppet Pals’ Talks About Finding His Voice Online and In Somerville
BY TIM GAGNON ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINE ENGELS
T
hirty minutes into our conversation, Neil Cicierega politely suggests that he’s open to talking about his experience of living in Somerville for the past eight years. Between tales of phone calls with the Warner Bros. legal department over unlicensed merch from his beloved “Potter Puppet Pals” web series, his prolific output of Smash Mouth-inspired song mashups, and the hundreds of millions of views that come with being a pioneer of early YouTube-era humor, the thought of asking him anything about Somerville had honestly slipped my mind. As evidenced by his sheepish, yet welcoming demeanor, and the fact that the barista at Diesel Café where we meet has to ask his name twice before taking his order, Cicierega’s level of YouTube celebrity around the city is modest. Which might be the ideal outcome for an artist who found his identity through the internet just as much as he shaped the internet’s identity.
42 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
“I
’m Neil Cicierega and, due to a bizarre set of circumstances, I have a creative career,” Cicierega began with a nervous laugh while opening his talk at the arts- and tech-based XOXO Festival in 2016. The title of “content creator” may seem accurate for Cicierega, but a little stodgy considering the kind of content he makes, so the video on XOXO’s channel lists his occupation simply as an “Internet Person.” As far as explaining his nearly 20-year career of generating absurdly humorous media for millions of fans online, the title is fairly apropos for the 32-year-old artist/musician/ comedian/career polyglot. “It’s really hard to explain to people, and I never sound confident when I do,” he says. “But it’s my job to do what I want to do, create what I want to create, and hope that enough people like it enough where I stay afloat.” Growing up a stone’s throw from Somerville in Boston, Cicierega’s career path received an unforeseen catalyst in the late ’90s when his parents pulled him from his fourth grade classes in favor of homeschooling. Adopting a loose curriculum comprising one annual, state-observed test provided boundless amounts of time for him and his two siblings to explore their interests. Cicierega’s initial gold mine was in “animutations,” a burgeoning format of Flash animations pairing non-sequitur pop culture references with misheard lyrics from Japanese music. “I was used to moving little pictures around and not drawing anything,” he says, somewhat critical in retrospect. “I wasn’t really an artist.” Nevertheless, Cicierega was at the forefront of a new, onlinebased comedy movement. It was a mantle he would continue to shape when he discovered his sister Emmy’s humorously drawn comics paying tribute to an iconic boy wizard and his magical friends. “She drew little comics of Harry Potter characters as puppets doing wacky stuff, and I thought it would make a great animation,” Cicierega recalls. “I came up with voices for everyone
and spent, like, two straight days or something putting it all together. I kind of taught myself how to make vector drawings of the characters and animated them about as smoothly as you could get away with in 2003.” He uploaded “Bothering Snape” to user-content site Newgrounds in September 2003 as a surprise for Emmy. The minute-and-a-half-long video features Harry Potter and Ron Weasley as puppets headbutting Professor Snape until he casts a killing curse on the duo. “It ended up blowing everything else out of the water,” Cicierega says. “I remember being really proud with how well-animated they were because I was making trash, nonsense animation before that point.” A sequel, “Trouble at Hogwarts,” followed that December, and then came a live-action puppet reprisal on his new YouTube channel in 2006. With an international fan base now tuning in, Cicierega stuck to his eccentrically humorous sensibilities, most notably on series highlight “The Mysterious Ticking Noise.” A self-described “weird little one-off ” musical episode, “Ticking Noise”—which turns 15 this year—features the main characters singing their own names and culminates with the lethal discovery of a pipe bomb. It’s the series’ most-watched and best-known episode at 181 million views. The video caught the attention of J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe, the latter of whom joked with MTV News about doing a live-action parody for charity in 2010. For Cicierega, as overwhelming as the celebrity attention was, the success of “Ticking Noise” served a more important purpose—of crystallizing the tenants of the nascent YouTube comedy world as irreverently pop culturedriven, sometimes nonsensical, and almost always willing to try anything. “I feel like I can always reliably amuse people within a certain age range, because we all grew up with Homestar Runner and early YouTube’s ‘wild, wild west’ kind of humor,” Cicierega
says. “That kind of surreal humor has matured and people will recognize it as a staple of the internet that’s not going away now, which has made me a little more comfortable with following my instincts and not worrying about whether or not something is truly going to be appreciated.” While many early YouTube pioneers fell off the map over the ensuing decade, Cicierega remains a rare example of consistency in the digital age. Millenials of a certain age still play “The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny,” a 2005 viral hit by Cicierega-fronted band Lemon Demon about an imagined celebrity deathmatch, just as readily as his multiple Smash Mouth mashups released over the last five years. Yes, multiple. Cicierega still produces Patreon-backed videos with longtime friends/collaborators Kevin James and Ryan Murphy under the collective name Guaranteed Video alongside his own projects. Featuring Somerville regularly as a backdrop, Cicierega views the city as a sort of enclave for creatives like him and his wife, comic book artist and animator Ming Doyle, to create roots in an often untethered industry. “There’s a lot of creatively invigorating art stuff going on here, even if it’s not specific to my really internet-based brand of art,” he says. “I choose to be in front of a computer for most of the day, but it’s nice to go out and be able to socialize in this creative place right away without having to make a day trip out of it.” Aside from scoring a “really outsider film project” for friends in the near future, Cicierega’s creative plans are fairly open, dictated solely by when creativity strikes next, as they’ve been for the better part of two decades. “Because the internet is so big, the dream of being one of the most well-known people on the internet doesn’t make any sense,” he says. “I try not to worry too much about whether what I’m doing right now is going to lead to something more legitimate or bigger or if it’s going to run out of steam. It hasn’t yet and, if anything, it’s only become more concrete that this is my job.” scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 43
CALENDAR
THROUGH SEPT. 23
| THEATER
“THE BLACK CLOWN” Various times, Tickets start at $25 64 Brattle St., Cambridge Langston Hughes’s poem “The Black Clown” is turned into a show that “fuses vaudeville, gospel, opera, jazz, and spirituals to bring Langston Hughes’ verse to life onstage and animate a Black man’s resilience against a legacy of oppression,” according to the A.R.T. website. This run marks the show’s world premiere.
Photo courtesy of Formaggio Kitchen.
EVERY TUESDAY IN SEPTEMBER FITNESS
Photo courtesy of Health Yoga Life.
MOVES ON THE ROOF FREE FITNESS SERIES 6 p.m., Free Kendall Square Roof Garden - 90 Broadway, Cambridge Health Yoga Life’s fitness series offers not just free yoga, but classes with a beautiful view of the city from the Kendall Square Roof Garden.
SEPT. 15
Photo courtesy of the Somerville Garden Club.
| STORYTELLING
PECHAKUCHA 20X20 8 to 11 p.m., Free Remnant Brewing - 2 Bow Market Way, Somerville PechaKucha—the format of 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds—is coming to Somerville this September. The theme for presentations at the Remnant Brewing event is “Trial and Error.” This event is hosted by the Somerville Community Corporation.
SEPT. 18 & OCT. 9 DRINKS
Photo courtesy of Kimpton Marlowe Hotel.
DOGS & DRAFTS 5:30 p.m., Free Kimpton Marlowe Hotel - 25 Edwin H Land Boulevard, Cambridge Grab a beer with your dog (and your neighbors’ dogs) at the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel this fall. Aeronaut Brewing Co. will offer beer on the Sept. 18 date, and Notch Brewing will serve theirs on Oct. 9. You can put together a “doggie bag” of handmade treats from Polka Dog Bakery for your pup and enter to win raffle prizes that will delight both humans and canines alike.
44 Scout’s Honored 2018 | scoutsomerville.com
| FOOD
SEPT. 29
| GAMES
FORMAGGIO KITCHEN 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 1 to 4 p.m., $5 to $10 Formaggio Kitchen - 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge Formaggio’s turning 40, and they want you to come out and celebrate with them! “We are excited, humbled and inspired by this amazing milestone and we are throwing a big street party to celebrate,” the shop’s staff writes on the Eventbrite page. Get ready for food from local restaurants, a beer garden, live music, and more.
BOSTONFIG FEST 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., $15 120 Vassar St., Cambridge Get your board game crew together and head to MIT for this annual festival to try out video games and tabletop games from independent creators.
SEPT. 29 & 30
| NATURE
SOMERVILLE GARDEN CLUB ANNUAL PLANT SALE 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Free 50 Holland St., Somerville Who better to get your plants from than your local garden club? The club’s members and its “community friends” donate plants for the annual sale, including herbs, shrubs, and perennials. Other plant paraphernalia will be available as well, from containers to gardening tools to topical books. Proceeds will support the garden club, which is a nonprofit.
SEPT. 18
Photo courtesy of BostonFig Fest.
SEPT. 23
Photo by Greg Cook.
| ART
CAMBRIDGE ARTS OPEN STUDIOS 12 to 6 p.m., Free Throughout Cambridge Take a look inside artists’ studios and the art being created in your city during one of Cambridge’s most exciting weekends of the year. The weekend kicks off with an Open Studios Launch Party featuring participating artists and their work.
OCT. 6-7
| BOOKS
OCT. 20
| BOOKS & DRINKS
PORTER SQUARE AFTER HOURS: OVERNIGHT READATHON 8:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., $25 Porter Square Books - 25 White St., Cambridge If hackathons always seemed fun except for the coding part, this one’s for you. Bring your sleeping bag and stay up all night with your eyes glued to that book you can’t put down. Tickets include Cafe Zing coffee, Flatbread pizza, and Bagelsaurus bagels. There will be games and art projects throughout the night if you need a reading break. Proceeds go to the Porter Square Books Foundation and Miranda’s Hearth.
GROWN-UP BOOK FAIR 2 to 6 p.m., Free Aeronaut Brewing Company - 14 Tyler St., Somerville Local businesses seem to have realized that if you pair any activity with beer, people are really excited about it. This event’s a throwback to your childhood days of book fairs, brought to you by Porter Square Books and Aeronaut. Submit your order form and payment to the bookstore by Oct. 1, and then at the fair you’ll get your order and have the chance to look at more books.
HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORY
Please consider shopping with these and other Scout sponsors.
REAL ESTATE DIRECTORY
REVOLUTIONARY CLINICS
TEAM JEN & LYNN
67 Broadway, Somerville 617-213-6006, revolutionaryclinics.org Professional, well-respected medical marijuana clinic offering natural solutions to a wide variety of illnesses and chronic conditions.
Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Lynn 617-216-5244, Jen 617-943-9581 TeamJenandLynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Bringing our expertise and good humor to help you find a perfect home or say good-bye to your old one.
DR. KATIE TALMO, D.M.D.
CHARLES CHERNEY TEAM AT COMPASS REAL ESTATE
Prices are already up quite a bit over 2013, which was the strongest market in years. More inventory has started to appear, but it is still not enough to satisfy demand. Consequently, prices should continue to rise in 2014.
180 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-864-6111 Dr. Talmo provides a personalize Please call us for more information on the market, approach dental care. Come or to get a sense to of the current value of your home. enjoy ~Thalia, Todd, Niké, Jennifer, and Lynn a comfortable dental experience in Our New Listings her newly renovated office space.
617-733-8937 CambridgeRealEstate.com SomervilleRealEstate.com Making your next move a reality.
RESTAURANT DIRECTORY LEONE’S SUB AND PIZZA
292 Broadway, Somerville 617-776-2511, leonessubandpizza.com Pizza and subs fit for a king since 1954. Now being delivered by Dash!
MIKE’S FOOD & SPIRITS
9 Davis Square, Somerville 617-628-2379, mikesondavis.com Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Burgers and more! Dine in our casual dining room open to Davis Square or watch a game at the bar!
~ $1,495,000 This is a very rare opportunity to own a single family home with garage on one of the largest lots in Davis Square . The Victorian-era house has 4 bedrooms and one and a half baths on two levels. The detached garage
SOMERVILLE FAMILY PRACTICE
the Morrison Ave. and Grove St., is the very large, open, level yard. Owned by the same family since 1955, this unspoiled home is ready for a new family to make their own updates and memories.
1020 Broadway, Somerville Lovely Agassiz 2 bedroom/2 bath condo with private porch on a pleasant side street between 617-628-2160 Harvard and Porter Squares. Near great shops, restaurants, and Harvard campus. ~somervillefamilypractice.net $349,000 Roomy Ten Hills 2 bedroom/1 bath condo with charming details, reonvated kitchen, parking, and storage. Now accepting new patients. ~ $519,000
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, ealtor R ® cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRe alEstate .com
Lynn C. Gr aham
Residential Sales Specialist, ealtor R ® cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRe alEstate .com
IRENE BREMIS THE IBREMIS TEAM
OPA GREEK YEEROS
THALIA TRINGO & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE
MASS AVE DINER
617-905-5232, irenebremis.com irenebremis@gmail.com Real Estate Consulting, Listing, Marketing, Sales & Rental Specialist.
378 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-718-2900, opayeeros.com Authentic Greek cuisine and a lively atmosphere. Expanding soon!
~ $229,000 Near Medford Sq., this 1 bedroom/ 1 1/2 bath condo is in an elevator building with parking.
Coming Soon
MASSAGE THERAPY WORKS
In the heart of Davis Sq., this 2 bedroom/1 bath condo in a brick building has a parking space.
255 Elm St #302, Somerville 617-684-4000 Renovated 1 bedroom/1 bath near Prospect Hill with air, in-unitbodywork laundry, private porch, Leader incentral clinical and and shared yard. therapeutic massage since 1997. Equidistant from Davis and Porter Squares, this 3 bedroom/1.5 bath condo on two levels has in-unit laundry, 2 porches, private yard, and exclusive driveway for 3 cars.
617-616-5091, thaliatringorealestate.com
Our agents strive to make your experience of buying and selling as smooth as possible. From start to finish, we are here to help you. Free classes.
SHOPPING DIRECTORY MAGPIE
416 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-623-3330, magpie-store.com
Unique jewelry, apothecary, art, edibles, housewares and more!
PORTER SQUARE BOOKS
25 White St., Cambridge 617-491-2220, portersquarebooks.com Porter Square Books is your fiercely independent source for great books, magazines, fun gifts and more.
906 Mass. Ave., Cambridge 617-864-5301, massavediner.com Since 2010 Serving Killer Brunch and Diner Fare. Now Open Late and Serving Craft Beer and Wine!
LA POSADA RESTAURANT
505 Medford St., Somerville 617-776-2049, laposadasomerville.com Somerville’s spot for delicious, hand-crafted Latin American cuisine.
TACO PARTY MAGPIE KIDS
95 Elm St., Somerville 617-764-4110, magpiekids.com Modern gifts for modern kids. Clothes, toys, books and more!
711 Broadway, Somerville 617-764-0683, tacopartytruck.com Building tacos from the ground up.
scoutsomerville.com | Scout’s Honored 2018 45
PHOTO CONTESTS
THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING US WITH YOU THIS SUMMER! CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS:
Farthest Trip: Stacy
Perth, Australia Over 11,600 miles away!
Most Creative: Jessica and Ryan on their honeymoon in Kyoto, Japan
Chewko, Australia
Funniest: Jess and Nick in Saint Petersburg, FL
CHARMING COMFORT, CAMBRIDGE CONVENIENCE
FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE HEART OF CAMBRIDGE SINCE 1945
We are available 8 am to 10 pm daily at 617-876-2888 to answer questions and help with reservations.
We are available 24 hours a day at 617-547-4600 to answer questions and help with reservations.
www.harding-house.com • Breakfast buffet with a daily home-cooked special • All day coffee, tea, snacks
www.irvinghouse.com • Internet – Guest computer/printer • TV – Free Local Phone Calls
• Limited Off-street Parking FREE with DIRECT BOOKING • Convenient Cambridge location
• Guest fridge & microwave in dining room • Non-smoking
HERE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER GREAT SUBMISSIONS:
Punta Cana – Nick Adragna
Holland, Michigan
MEMBER PROFILE:
NICK CHELYAPOV
CURIOUS SOUND OBJECTS
McAlester, Oklahoma
HOW’D YOU END UP AT INDUSTRY LAB? A friend of mine was already working here, and I was looking for a space that had the right blend of freedom and order, and this was it! YOU’VE BEEN AT INDUSTRY LAB FOR AROUND FOUR YEARS. WHAT HAS KEPT YOU HERE? It’s the people. I can’t believe the density of creative nerdery that happens. People support each other, give each other advice. I came here from Los Angeles, and I honestly wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing if it weren’t for IL and Camberville at large.
Mongolia – Katherine Koh
McAlester, Galápagos Islands – Matthew
INDUSTRY-LAB.COM 288 NORFOLK ST. CAMBRIDGE
TELL ME ABOUT CURIOUS SOUND OBJECTS. Curious Sound Objects started as an idea for an art show for all the hackery musical things my friends here and in the city were making. As an extension of the project, I’m making a pocket sound toy called Bitty, which is really fun. You can check it out at curioussoundobjects.com. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPOT IN THE AREA TO HANG OUT? Industry Lab. No joke. I come here to work during the day, and I hang out here with friends at night.
See yourself at Industry Lab, Cambridge’s uniquely flexible, neighborly co-working space? Drop us a line at hi@industry-lab.com.
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Meet Matt, or as he’s known to many of his patients, the Captain. Because when it comes to finding the right cannabis products for your needs, he knows where the treasure is buried. Matt is just one of the many Revolutionary Clinics patient advocates who are passionate about connecting their patients not just to the finest products, but also to the people, resources and knowledge they need to get the most out of their cannabis experience.
67 Broadway, SoMerville Plenty of free Parking
617.213.6006
revolutionaryclinicS.org 110 FawCett St, caMBridge oPening Soon